XMen IV Dark Dawn
by Toser
Summary: How the next movie should be, in my opinion. Scott wakes up in Stryker's base after X3 and has to deal with a world that changed in his absence. He is assisted by Remy LeBeau, but a new evil lurks in the dark. Scott,Ororo,Romy. UPDATED!
1. Chpt 1 How a Resurrection really feels

X-Men IV: Dark Dawn

**X-Men IV: Dark Dawn**

**Chapter one: How a resurrection really feels**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

As I am not from an English speaking country, there will probably be some grammar and spelling errors, but you are always welcome to correct me.

In all of the chapters there is a little Easter egg telling you what one of my other fandoms is. Can you figure out which one it is? I won't reveal it until the last chapter.

**A/N: August 14. 2007 I Just Reloaded All Of The Chapters With Some Minor Changes! **

**A/N: May 10. 2008 I'm sorry it is taking me so long to update. I have been very busy with school, but I promise you guys that a new chapter will be up soon.**

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_**SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - 1986**_

_It was prom night, the theme was Rhapsody in Blue, Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" was playing. Several boys were in the bathroom; bow ties undone - unclipped in most cases. Smoking, drinking from whatever inventive container was used to smuggle in booze. Some of the guys were rolling joints while others made a sad effort to wave smoke away._

_A freckled kid was standing in front of a mirror; clearly holding himself up from the effect of God knows what. He was talking to his friend in the he stall behind him. "Man, what's the matter with you?"_

_His friend was on the toilet with his head in his hands. He seemed to be in some pain. His name was Scott Summers. "Dude. Lighten up. She's just a girl. You just gotta-"_

"_No, my eyes... my eyes are killing me." Scott said._

_The freckled kid offered him a small plastic bottle. "You want some Visine, man?"_

"_My... eyes..."_

_The freckled kid looked and saw that Scott's eyes were watering so badly that tears were literally streaming through his fingers. He went back to the mirror to look at his own._

"_...they're burning..." Scott continued._

_The freckled kid turned back to him. "Dude, how much did you smoke?"_

"_I didn't smoke anything." _

_Scott looked up, taking his hands away, revealing for an instant that his eyes were merely bright red embers in his head. Featureless but for the color. _

_Freckles took a step back._

_In the gym a blinding red flash of light showed through the frosted glass in the double door and cut through into the dark of the gym. All who saw it were stunned. Frozen. A lingering moment of confusion, then the doors to the Boys Room burst open and the occupants scattered into the gym._

_Freckles was still in the bathroom with Scott. He looked at Scott who was now crying meekly in the stall, covering his eyes again -- afraid to open them. The door of the stall across from him swung closed to reveal a hole, punched through the stall door framing Scott's face perfectly. The hole continued through the wall, into the girl's bathroom next door. In the corner several girls huddled together, they were afraid._

"_I want to see your eyes"_

"_No!"_

"_Don't worry; I can hold it back now. __You can't hurt me"_

_Jean…_

"_Trust me"_

**ALKALI LAKE, CANADA – The not too distant future**

"JEAN!"

Scott Summers woke up in a bed, in a place he'd never seen before. White tile walls, tile floor, and instruments similar to those of a hospital. A man stood at the end of the bed.

"Good morning Mr. Summers" the man said. He was tall, pale, but with black hair, and piercing brown eyes. They almost seemed red. His thin lips wore a sinister smile.

"Where am I?" Scott asked, his hand going to his glasses on instinct, but they weren't there. His eyes were wide open with nothing to hold back his fatal optic power beams, but nothing happened. He thought back to Alkali Lake and his fiancée, whom he thought he'd lost forever, when she presumably died at the very same lake.

"There's no need to get hostile—" the man began, but Scott cut him off.

"Where's Jean?"

The man started to laugh. A dark sadistic laugh of simple amusement. "My dear Scott. Jean is dead"

Suddenly Scott realized that he must have been dreaming his meeting with a resurrected Jean at Alkali Lake. But how did he end up here?

"Who are you?" Scott asked, silently contemplating whether his body was well enough for an escape. Then decided that it wasn't; he could hardly feel his legs. His upper body was in great pain.

"I am Dr. Nathaniel Essex." Essex said and bowed gracefully.

"What the hell am I doing here?"

"After your little meeting with your girlfriend --or should I say 'ex-girlfriend'-- your entire body was shredded into pieces. I've been watching you for some years, and when I realized you had died, my plans were ruined. So I simply created you again."

Scott's brain was working slow, sedated by drugs.

"I died…?"

"Yes"

"And you resurrected me?"

"Yes"

"And I _did _meet Jean?"

"Yes"

"And she died the same way I did?"

"No. Logan killed her"

"WHAT?!" Scott's old instincts were telling him to be angry and shocked, but the pieces were slowly beginning to come together. Jean had been different, more powerful than ever before. Scott knew Jean, and knew she would never be able to handle it. Obviously, she didn't handle it.

"How exactly did I die?" Scott asked, though he already knew the answer. It was all coming back to him now. The incredible pain he'd felt when he'd kissed Jean. He'd seen her eyes grow dark and hateful. The pain had continued to grow, all over his body, until it had stopped, and he had woken up here.

"I can see you're beginning to understand it now" Essex said, smiling.

"But what happened to Jean?"

"Not so many questions. We've got plenty of time. Now you need to rest some more, before we begin your physical rehabilitation."

**X**

Ororo Monroe, headmaster of Xavier's school for gifted youngsters, stood at the graves of her three best friends; Charles Xavier, Jean Grey and Scott Summers. It was early morning, and hardly anyone else at the school was up yet. Ororo liked getting up early. The stillness of the ending night, just before the morning began. That was her favorite time of the day.

Since she had fully entered her role as the school's headmaster, it wasn't often she had quiet moments like this. She didn't enjoy it though. It seemed to her that she missed her friends more and more every day. The more she thought about their tragic deaths, the bigger the lump in her throat grew. Finally her pride caved in and she fell to her knees sobbing.

She didn't usually show feelings like this. Mostly she suppressed them, kept them in control. She had to; both because of her responsibilities as headmaster, and because of her mutant ability to control and manipulate the weather, which was now not being controlled, thus forming a series of dark clouds above the school area.

One of her remaining friends, Hank McCoy, noticed this. Although his work at the UN was time-consuming, he tried to stay at the school for as much time as he could. He knew Ororo needed the support. He had never been an early riser. If he even slept at all, it was often afternoon, before he got up. Lately he knew he needed the sleep when he was not at the UN, but he also tried to set a lot of time aside for his dear friend. This morning he had just come up from the basement after a long night of research and experiments, when he heard the familiar deep rumble of thunderclouds. He went out to the back garden-come-graveyard, where he found Ororo on her knees.

He sat down beside her and put his large furry arms around her. Although at most times Ororo was authoritative and firm, right now she seemed more like a fragile, frightened child.

They sat together for a while until Ororo gathered herself and the clouds slowly cleared.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Ororo asked her friend, trying to form a smile.

"Yes, but there are more important things in life than sleeping." He answered "Now what's got your thunder in a bundle?"

Ororo chuckled and said: "I miss them. It has taken a while for me to realize that they're not coming back."

"I know. I miss them too."

**X**

On Muir Island off the coast of Scotland, Moira McTaggart was doing her morning rounds. She reached the patient without a mind. His body functions worked as normal, but there was no brain activity.

"Good morning" she said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her, or rather his ears heard her, but the brain couldn't process the sound, nor understand her words.

Moira started checking his stats, when a familiar voice suddenly said: "Hello, Moira"

Moira didn't believe her eyes. The voice that had talked to her had come from the patient. She was in disbelief, joy, and utter bafflement and shock all at the same time. Her voice was shaking as were the rest of her body, when she said: "Charles?"

**X**

"Cover me, Jubes!" Bobby Drake yelled. His ability to manipulate water and air into ice was only weakening him in the tropic climate created by the Danger Room. Jubilee ran to his side and fired her colorful fireworks at a big flying lizard. The lizard was blinded and Warren Worthington attacked it from above; knocking it out.

"Nice work, Angel" Jubilee said and blew a bubble with her gum.

"Thanks" he said and grabbed her as another giant lizard was charging. Peter Rasputin attacked it from the side before it reached Bobby. In his metal form, he was invincible.

"This is getting a little too Jurassic Park for me" Jubilee said to Warren as he slowly placed her on the ground again. "Logan, can we stop now?"

The man only known as Logan or Wolverine was very busy cutting up other lizards as he answered: "No! We stop when the class is over!"

Jubilee mimicked Logan's expression as she attacked some tiny lizards that had surrounded Kitty Pryde. Kitty phased through the rest and ran over to help Bobby. A tyrannosaurus rex had set its eyes on him. Jubilee, Colossus, Angel and Wolverine followed, and together they brought the big animal down.

"Now the class is over!" Logan said "End danger room session 3.9"

The tropic rainforest disappeared and was replaced by a large round room.

"Simulation complete" the computer said.

**X**

Marie, formerly called Rogue, was watching them from the control room. She had used the cure to become normal. She had wanted to become free of her _curse_. And she didn't regret it, but sometimes she felt outcast among the outcasts. Ororo had let her stay at the mutant school, and for that she was truly grateful. Before her powers manifested, she'd had so many dreams and goals to fulfill. Then they all fell apart. Now that she could have gotten her old life back, she was scared. The school was her safe place, and she loved living here.

Her boyfriend Bobby was fighting in the danger room and that was more than anything the reason she was watching. Since she had taken the cure, their relationship had gotten much better, and she was starting to think long terms with him. It scared her just as much as it made her happy.

The X-Men came up to the control room with the elevator. Bobby immediately walked over to Marie and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Can I be the first to say that this session _sucked_?!" Jubilee exclaimed as she sat down on one of the chairs. She had taken over Marie's place on the team "There is no realism in dinosaurs!"

"And there is in 'Buffy'?" Bobby said.

Jubilee was just about to flip him the bird, but noticed their teacher Logan staring hard at her. Then she flipped him anyway. The others burst out laughing, and there was a small hint of a smile on Logan's face, but then got serious again.

"Alright, quiet!" he said, and the laughter quickly stopped. "The important thing isn't if it's realistic or not. The important thing is whether you guys can handle it or not. In this weird world we live in we don't know what might happen tomorrow. Ten years ago, we didn't think it realistic that two planes might crash into World Trade Center and kill thousands of people. Ten months ago, we didn't think it realistic that Magneto would move the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island and attack the lab with hundreds of mutants and Jean resurrected" The others' eyes became sad and an awkward silence was approaching. Marie knew it was time to lighten the mood.

"Ten days ago we didn't think it realistic that Jubilee could talk for seven straight hours on the telephone!"

**X**

Raven Darkholme was sitting in a small apartment in the Bronx. Since she had lost her powers, she'd had to rebuild her whole life, and she was not happy about that. She wanted revenge over the man she had given her life to. She was a human now, because she had loved him so much that she'd sacrificed herself to save him. She spent most of her money on trying to find him, so she could kill him. Her goal was simple and she liked that.

She got up and went to the bathroom. She stared at the old broken mirror. She hated what she saw now. That was the reason it was broken. Some days ago she had lost her temper and smashed her fist into it. Now what she saw was distorted. She stared at the mirror for a long time, feeling angry tears welling up inside her, until her eyes became yellow.

**X**

Scott woke up in the same bed as before, feeling better and stronger. This time a young man was standing at his side with a plate of food. He had long auburn hair and red on black eyes.

"Good morning" he said.

"How long have I slept?" Scott asked.

"About two days" the man said and placed the plate on the bed. Scott looked at it for a while. "Don' worry, we're not trying to poison you. De food is good"

Scott examined the eggs and bacon and in the end he decided to trust the man. He started to eat.

The man smiled joyfully and said: "De name is Remy LeBeau, mon ami. Pleasure to meet you"

"Scott Summers" Scott said and took another bite. He was starving.

"Remy's sorry about de whole t'ing with y'wife an' all." Remy said and looked at Scott with sympathy.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked to avoid the other subject.

"I'm deliverin' y'food and talkin'" Remy said.

"I mean in this place… wherever we are"

"Oh, well it's a long story…" Remy began and looked sad "Let's jus say Remy has to be here"

"Okay, so where exactly are we?"

"We're in Canada, at Alkali Lake" Remy said and was smiling again. Scott sat up straight and glared at Remy "Monsieur Sinister be using Stryker's ole base"

"But the base was flooded" Scott said

"Not any more. One of my 'colleagues' make de water go away and we build a new dam. Sinister said we need to be close t'where you died."

Scott was very confused about the whole situation. He tried to contact Xavier by thought but got no reply.

"Sinister is he…?" Scott asked

"Yes, he be de creepy ugly man who you talked to when you first woke up. His name is Essex, but we all calling him Sinister because he's creepy, and I t'ink he likes it."

"Fear is a strong weapon" Scott muttered to himself, louder he asked: "Essex is not one of the good guys is he?"

"Non, definitely not!" Remy said and shivered.

"Are you from the south?" Scott asked referring to his accent.

"Oui, I'm from New Orleans" Remy said proudly. "Where' you from?"

"Well uh, we moved a lot; army brat. My dad was a pilot" Scott said.

"Dat school in New York. Wat's it like? Is it nice?"

"Yes" Scott said longingly "It was a really nice place."

"Dat where you met your wife?"

"Yes. Thank you for the meal." Scott said and gave Remy the plate. He didn't want to talk anymore.

"Pardon if I hit a soft spot. Remy understands you be upset, but Remy's jus trying to be friendly. People here aren't very nice. I'll come back later" Remy said a little disheartened and left.

**X**

As Remy closed the door to Scott's room, he heard low voices down the hall. He recognized one of them as Essex' but didn't know the other. He was too curious to let this information go, so as the master thief he was, he silently sneaked closer to the door. The door was locked, but Remy easily picked the lock. He knew that whoever was in there they wouldn't hear him nor see him, because the door was hidden behind a wall. He set down the plate, walked in slowly and carefully leaned on the wall that hid him.

"How soon will the effects show?" Essex or Sinister asked the other person.

A deep metallic voice answered: "It will come gradually as I break down the psyche."

"When are you planning to do it?" Sinister asked

"As soon as you're done with your 'rehabilitation'. The body needs to be fully healed before I can take it."

"Are you sure you need to do this?"

Remy had never before heard his master's voice be so inferior.

"Yes!" the other's voice was firm and slightly angry "Unless you want to lose your own precious little plan. Do you want that?"

"No, my master." Whoever the other man was, he had to be really powerful to make Sinister crawl like that, Remy thought.

"Don't forget that _I_ gave you all of this, and I can easily take it all away. Make you a weak little human again…"

"No, my master. I haven't forgotten, and I don't want to be a human again."

"Good. Then keep our deal and hurry up!" Remy recognized a finished conversation, and hurried out of the room, still quiet as a mouse. He locked the door again and hurried to his own room.

It wasn't much and he shared it with four other of Sinister's henchmen, but a least there was something resembling a bed and that was more than he had had before he met Sinister.

He plumped down on the bed and thought about the conversation. He realized that they had been talking about Scott and knew that whatever they planned to do to him, wasn't good. Even though Remy was what was considered a 'bad guy', it was never good to have extremely powerful evil beings walking around. He had to do something.

His thoughts were interrupted by the mutant called Harpoon.

"What are you doing here?" his ruff voice asked in an annoyed tone.

"Dis is my room, no?" Remy asked innocently. Hoping acting dumb could save him from a beating.

"You're supposed to be in the kitchen!" Harpoon said.

"Naturellement! I better hurry" Remy said and got up.

"Forget it, red eyes, Sinister wants to see you"

That didn't sound good. Remy hoped it was just the usual stuff, and not something involving his evil plans with Scott. He walked to the door, but was stopped by the tall, muscular man.

"Sinister told me to ask you to hurry" he said and punched Remy in the stomach.

"I got it" Remy gasped and hurried out.

On the way to Sinister's control room where he usually met his master he noticed the plate still on the floor in front of the room where he had overheard the earlier conversation. He smelled a very poisonous rat and picked up the plate. It started glowing red and he threw it across the hall as it exploded. That was his mutant power. Now that he had destroyed the evidence, he went on to the control room. The double door opened as he approached.

"You wanted to see me?"

**X**

"How did the Danger Room session go this morning?" Ororo asked the new team leader Logan, in Xavier's old office.

"I think it went alright. Can I ask why we have to do it at 7 o'clock in the morning?" Logan was sitting in one of the chairs in front of Xavier's old desk, which Ororo now used.

Ororo smiled and answered: "Firstly: the kids have to go to school at 8. Secondly: _you _have to teach at school. And thirdly: it's good for the discipline."

"Yeah, some discipline." Logan muttered to himself, thinking about Jubilee.

"Logan, if you don't want to be the team leader I can easily-"

"You just stay behind that desk. I can handle it, alright?"

"Alright" Ororo said, holding up her hands in surrender, "You can leave"

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The first scene was taken, and altered a little, from one of the original X-Men movie scripts.

The chapter title "_How a Resurrection Really Feels_" is by _The Hold Steady_ off the record, _Separation Sunday_.

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So what did you think? REVIEW!!

It's my first serious fanfic, so be nice. Creative critique is always welcome.


	2. Chpt 2 The Trick is to Keep Breathing

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter two: The trick is to keep breathing**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

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"Breakfast!" Remy entered Scott's room, with a loud and cheerful exclamation.

Scott had been sleeping and was quickly annoyed with the loud wake up call.

"Eggs and bacon! Just de way you Yankees like it." Remy smiled proudly of himself. He placed the plate on Scott's lap and set the glass of orange juice on the bed table.

"Bon appetit" Remy said and found a chair. He loved watching people eat his food.

Scott started eating and obviously liked it, because in a matter of minutes the food and juice was gone.

"Was it good?" Remy asked.

"It was great. Thanks" Scott answered with genuine gratitude.

Remy smiled even more. He could almost sense, when people lied and he knew Scott was honest. Despite his lying thief nature he liked honesty, just not when he had to be honest.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Scott asked, while he set the plate on the bed table.

"Nothing special. 'S just a très beau morning." He didn't want to tell Scott that his meeting with Sinister was _not _regarding his eavesdropping, but because Sinister wanted him to permanently take care of the man lying in the bed in front of him. Thinking about the conversation, he became sad again. "'Ow are you today?" Remy asked, trying to say it with the same cheerfulness but failed.

"It's getting better and better. Hardly any pain left, but I'm sick and tired of hearing the stupid beep of the heart machine." Jean had several times told him what it was called, but he always forgot it again.

Remy went to his other side and turned 'the heart machine' off. "Better?"

"Yeah"

"Pardon me being so forward, but I'm very curious. What 'appened to y'wife? Monsieur Sinister won't tell me." Remy talked softly and carefully, sounding like a little school boy, which was exactly what he intended.

Scott sighed, eyes down, then he began to tell the story, right to their meeting at Alkali Lake. "Apparently she was unable to control her powers, and they controlled her. I think the X-Men did the only possible thing; they killed her."

Remy had seen his share of tragedies in his life, but it never happened to someone that close to him, someone he truly loved. He never let anyone close enough for that to happen. He only barely understood Scott's loss, and therefore he felt even more sympathy for the broken man.

"I'm sorry" Remy said. It was all he could say.

"Don't be!" Scott's voice was trembling, and Remy could see that he was close to crying, but then his face became hard again. "I don't need your pity!"

"What do y'need?" Remy asked.

"Tell me everything you know about who Essex is, and why he wants me." Scott said without blinking.

"Remy doesn't know a lot about Sinister. But per'aps 'e knows more than most people… all right. I believe 'e was born a long time ago. Like 200 years or somet'ing. Being a mutant, I guess 'is powers must've made him as invulnerable as 'e is, an' given 'im long life. Any'ow, 'e is very smart an' is a docteur or professeur in biology or somet'ing. Is crazy about de 'uman body an' does all sorts of creepy experiments on unlucky mutants."

"Is that why he wants me?" Scott asked.

"Non, not you. You're special." Remy said with a sad look on his face. "Sinister never tells about 'is plans to anyone. 'E doesn't trust anyone but 'imself. But Remy's sure you're very special, or 'e wouldn't 'ave gone through de trouble of bringing you to life again. He needs you for somet'ing very evil, Remy's afraid"

"And do you have any idea of how I can get out of here? How much of the dam did you rebuild?"

"Just so we could walk around 'ere wit'out getting our socks wet." Remy said in a light tone "Dere are open doors everywhere for t'ose who work 'ere, but for you it would be 'arder. Not sure is even possible."

"I'm sure I can think of something…" Scott said more to himself than Remy.

**X**

"Please tell us your name" Ororo said to the young woman in front of her.

"Alison Blaire" the blonde woman answered. She was standing in the office in front of the desk, where the three teachers sat, wearing baggy jeans with many holes and chains, and a bright pink t-shirt saying: 'I love whiteboys' in bold black letters and then in smaller letters 'Get the fuck over it!" Her blonde hair was short and frizzy and she had six earrings in each ear. In many ways she reminded Logan of Jubilee, but doubted she was the kind of teacher Ororo was looking for.

"And what are you intending to teach?" Ororo asked. Since the loss of three teachers, the school had found it hard to find staff. Now as the fall break was ending, Ororo had decided to try to find someone from outside. Unfortunately, not a lot of people were willing to teach in a school full of teenage mutants.

"Well, I'm not sure it's even a subject here, but I would like to teach music."

The teachers looked at each other for a while then Ororo said: "You're right, it is not a subject here yet. Why do you think the children need to learn music?"

"To me music is the most amazing thing ever!" Alison said, and a gleeful smile formed on her face as she mused "To immerse yourself in an instrument or just using your voice and creating music out of it, it's just the best feeling there is. And I think it would be nice for the kids to get a break from all those dusty books and actually do something fun."

Hank was smiling to himself, Logan snorted because he agreed with her, but wasn't sure he was allowed to, and Ororo spoke again: "Do you play any instruments?"

"I play the piano, guitar and bass, and I sing"

"What are your powers?" Logan asked.

"I can transform sound into light, and thus create some pretty powerful blast" Alison said.

"Good. If you will please fill out these papers and leave them in the hall, we will call you back with our answer" Ororo said.

Alison seemed hesitant "This isn't one of these 'Don't call us, we'll call you' rejections, right? 'Cause if it is, you might as well just say it to my face." She got more and more angry "I'm sorry if I might seem a little unconventional and your fancy little upstate prep school doesn't _need_ music. I just needed a job and heard you were looking for teachers!"

"This is definitely not one of those 'Don't call us, we'll call you' rejections." Ororo said, not affected by the woman's little outburst "We just need some time to discuss this, since we haven't had music before and it will be difficult to start the children up on a brand new subject"

"Oh, okay. I had to ask" Alison said and laughed nervously. She took the papers and went quickly to the door.

"Wait!" Hank said, and Alison stopped "If I were you I'd hold the line open" Hank winked at her and smiled, so did she.

When she had left, the teachers waited for the next. A thirty-something man. He was dark and looked Latino.

"Buenos diaz!" He said when he entered.

"Hello, I'm Ororo Monroe, the headmaster of this school" Ororo said "Please tell us your name"

"Roberto DaCosta. I would like to teach Spanish" He answered, with a thick accent. Logan snorted, thinking it was pretty obvious that _that _was his subject.

"That's great! Do you have a teaching degree?" Ororo answered.

"Yes, to teach high school. I have university too, but I do believe you shall we say 'kick the kids out' before college."

"Yes. That is correct. But we don't kick them out; we just don't teach then at college level. We prefer that if the students want a college degree, they actually go to college." Ororo said and smiled "Are you from a Spanish speaking country?"

"Yes, I'm from Spain, actually" He said with pride.

"Okay, what made you come here?" Hank asked. Logan was uninterested in the pretty-boy. He thought the school had enough of them as it was.

"I am very interested in American culture, and I got accepted into an American university. Majored in climatology."

"So you're like one of those weather-persons on the news?" Logan asked, as Ororo sat a little up in her seat with renewed interest.

"No, not really. They are meteorologists. I am a climatologist. There's a difference" Robert said.

"Interesting. I would like to hear more about that some other time." Ororo said "If you will please fill out these papers and leave them in the hall, we will call you back with our answer."

Roberto took the offered papers, thanked the three for their time and left.

"What a nice young man!" Hank said, because he really meant it, and to irritate Logan, who had already made his mind up about the man.

"He better continue bein' just nice. I don't give two cents for that Antonio Banderas look-a-like! I'm sure he'll be a real pleasure for the girls" Logan snorted again "Who's next?"

"Brian Braddock" Hank said, looking at his papers.

"Braddock? Isn't that the name of one of the girls here?" Logan asked.

"Yes. Elizabeth Braddock." Ororo said, while the door slowly opened.

"Is this the office?" A man with an English accent asked. He looked tired and confused, but couldn't be very old. Perhaps in the late twenties.

"Indeed it is. You must be Brian Braddock" Ororo said.

"Yes. Betsy said you were looking for an English teacher" Brian said and sat down on one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Are you guys related?" Logan asked.

She's my little sister."

"Okay, and you want to teach English?" Ororo asked.

"Yes. I have a university degree in physics if you need that, but otherwise English is fine."

Ororo smiled "We do need a teacher in physics, if you're interested in doing that too.

"Great! When can I begin?"

"You need to fill out these papers and we will call you back with our decision"

"Oh, okay" Brian was clearly disappointed, but took the papers "Are there many others wanting the position?"

"No, you are the only one so far" Ororo said with a disappointed look in her eyes.

After some other mutants, and one non-mutant, who didn't know about the school's real purpose, they had filled out most of the empty spots.

"All we need now is a teacher in German" Ororo said, looking up from her papers at the end of the day.

"There's no one who even speaks German among these people." Hank said.

"I guess there's nothing else to do them, but to drop the language" Ororo said and sighed.

"I don't think anyone'll mind" Logan muttered under his breath.

"Thanks for helping me out, you guys" Ororo said and smiled warmly.

"You did good Ms. Headmistress" Hank said and patted her arm with a big paw.

**X**

The door to the smallest study room of the mansion was currently locked. In the room Bobby and Marie were exchanging hot kisses and half of their clothes were on the floor. They were half lying half sitting on the small couch. The music was playing loud so that no one could hear them.

Bobby's hands found the zipper of his girlfriend's jeans, as she suddenly stopped kissing his neck.

"Don't go there!" Marie said in a pleading tone.

"Why not?" Bobby asked almost offended.

"Because I don't want to, yet."

They both sat up in the couch and looked at each other without touching. Marie picked up her shirt and pulled it on.

"What's wrong Marie?" Bobby asked, pulling an arm around her and looking worried.

"I'm just _not _ready!" Marie almost screamed and ran to the door. She unlocked it and ran outside. She needed to find someone to talk to. Logan; she would never even dream of talking about _that _with him. Kitty: they hadn't been the best of friends lately. Jubilee; if she told her, she would tell the whole school. She didn't really have any really good friends she could tell everything to. She ended up finding Peter. She knew he wouldn't understand her, but he would always try, because he had the biggest heart of all (not just because of his size!).

"Peter!" Marie said relieved, when she found him outside, sketching.

"Hey there girly!" he said and smiled.

She sat down beside him. He was drawing two of the smaller children playing X-Men. The girl was wearing a towel for a cape, running around and screaming: 'Storm!'. The boy had three sticks on each hand and was clearly playing Wolverine. Marie smiled.

"There's something wrong" Peter stated.

"Well uh, yeah. I didn't really know who to talk to…" Marie looked nervously at Peter, who had stopped drawing and was looking at her.

"I'm always here for you" he said "Tell me what happened."

"Me and Bobby… we were…" Marie stopped.

"Studying?" Peter said in a playful, knowing tone.

"Uh yeah… well I always seem to freeze whenever we get close enough to actually have sex. The touching and kissing is great, but going further scares me."

Peter was listening intently, without saying anything.

"A year ago I never thought I would get to _do it_. So I never really thought about whether I was ready for it. But now I'm n- I don't have my powers and everything's fine and… I'm rambling!" Marie sighed and leaned against Peter's shoulder. He put his strong arm around her.

"I guess you're just not ready." Peter said.

"But shouldn't I be ready?"

"I don't think there is a certain age where everyone becomes ready. It depends on how mature the person is and whether they're with the right person. Sex is very intimate and personal and if you don't trust the other person…"

"You sound like my parents!"

Peter laughed "Yeah I get that a lot. But I'd rather sound like your friend, giving you some good advice."

"You're probably right. But what can I do to become ready?"

"Be patient" Peter said and looked back on the two kids, who had now just defeated 'Magneto', a pile of branches and clothes and a bucket on top.

Marie squeezed his arm and went inside to apologize to Bobby.

**X**

After Remy had left, Scott had gotten out of bed and looked around the place. He had been there before, but never really got the time to explore it. He had terrible memories of torture and almost killing Jean from here, but that didn't matter now. Right now it was important for him to get away from there, so he wouldn't receive more traumas.

He was, thanks to his mutant powers, gifted with a supernatural sense of directions and space. Therefore he quickly got a good idea of the place. He noticed every alarm, every guard, every door and every camera. It must have been quite a task to dry it up again after it was flooded.

He was just about to explore a room, when Dr. Essex came out from it.

"Ah, Mr. Summers. Already out of bed. Excellent!"

Scott had gotten a quick glimpse of the inside of the room, and it had looked like some kind of Frankenstein's lab or something in Scott's mind. Another very good reason to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Since you're already up and running, we might as well begin your rehabilitation training immediately. Come with me!" Essex started walking, and Scott didn't know what else to do but follow. He didn't see Remy come stumbling out of the lab some minutes later.

The rehabilitation was like most normal rehabilitation trainings, except it was in an old abandoned military base, now used as an evil lair, and the place for the training used to be a training room for soldiers. It was hard, even though the things Scott had to do were simple normal things. His body was aching when he was done. He lay on a bench, breathing heavily.

"Essex?" Scott said panting.

"Dr. Essex" The man answered with a slow gentle voice, with an undertone of annoyance.

"How come my blasts aren't working?" Scott asked. He had excluded that his powers were gone, because he wouldn't have been able to find around in the base without them.

"You haven't seen the sun in months. Your body absorbs and processes the sun's energy and converts it to your powerful energy 'blasts'. Without the sun's energy, there's nothing to process and thus; no 'blasts'. If you went outside and let your body absorb the sunbeams, you would be seeing red again." Essex answered quick and matter-of-factly.

"Can I go outside?"

"No. We can't have you running around, blowing holes in things, can we? Your exceptional 'sunglasses' are missing. I suspect that your friends from New York took them, when they found Jean. And you wouldn't want to run around blind either." Essex said "You've had your share of blindness"

"How do you know that?" Scott asked. He didn't think anyone except Jean, Hank, Ororo and Xavier knew about his past and how he had lived for months with duct tape over his eyes.

Essex eyes looked surprised and scared, nut then became cold again as he said: "It's only logical that it would have taken some time from when your powers manifested, and to when Hank McCoy invented your glasses."

Essex shouldn't know that Hank made the glasses, Scott thought to himself, but didn't say anything.

"You should go back to your room. I'll have Remy make you dinner."

**X**

Marie found Bobby in the game room, taking out his frustrations on the PlayStation 3. She sat down on the couch beside him, but he pretended not to have noticed her.

She was trying to think up something smart to say, but all that came out of her mouth was: "I'm sorry about what happened"

Bobby turned the TV off, and turned to look at Marie. He didn't look angry, just hurt and confused.

"So what happened?" Bobby asked.

"I don't really know… I'm really sorry. I guess, I just don't want to do it yet." Marie said.

"Why didn't you tell me from the start? I never put any pressure on you when you had your powers. Why do you think I would start now?"

"I don't know, I just… I supposed you'd expect me to be ready immediately."

"But I didn't! I know you, and I know how hard it must have been for you to be robbed of all contact for so long, and how hard it must be for you to get it back."

Marie smiled and looked into her boyfriend's eyes. She loved him. She finally admitted to herself that she loved him. She leaned closer to him and he put his arms around her.

"Please talk to me the next time there's something wrong, okay? I don't like to see you hurt like that." He said into her hair.

"I know. I'm sorry."

They sat on the couch for a while, until some smaller kids began using the PlayStation.

**X**

Kitty was in the library, reading, when she saw Bobby and Marie walk by in the hallway. They were holding hands, laughing and teasing each other. Kitty envied Marie. Not so much because she had Bobby – she had gotten over him a long time ago – it was more the fact that she had _someone_. Kitty was always perceived as the smart girl, the brain on legs. And she hated that. She wanted to be noticed for something other that her IQ.

"What's going on?" Peter asked as he sat on the couch beside Kitty "You're clearly not reading?"

Kitty's thoughts were interrupted and she looked confused at her friend. He was probably her best friend. Sometimes her only friend. Before Marie had taken 'the cure' – Kitty hated that name – Bobby had been her friend too, but now he hardly ever left Marie's side _or_ her skin!

"Kits?"

"Surry, I was just…" Kitty stuttered, looking for something clever to say.

"Daydreaming?" Peter asked with a teasing smile.

"No! I just… I'm thinking!" Kitty said, knowing that answer wouldn't satisfy him.

"About…? Me?" Peter asked, with the same smile.

"No." Kitty said, noticing that his eyes became a little less happy, but his mouth was still smiling.

"Oh, about what then?"

Kitty sighed, she knew he wasn't going to leave her alone, until she spilled. "I want someone to notice me!"

"What do you mean?"

"People always think of me as the smart girl; the one they can come to if they need help with homework, or if their computer's broken down."

"You don't like that?"

"Well, no! I mean… I'm glad that I'm smart, but I just want other people to consider me less as just a brain and more as a person. And I-" Kitty stopped, breathed and said a little lower "I want a boyfriend."

"I see… anyone special in mind?" Peter asked.

"Uh, no not really" Kitty said "I just want _someone _to hold me and kiss me and…"

Peter was listening without saying anything. Kitty appreciated that. He didn't even come with those annoying little grunts that are supposed to say that you're listening.

"And what?" Peter asked

"If the boys don't notice me, I won't get a boyfriend, will I?!" It came out a little angrier that Kitty intended.

"Maybe it's just you, who don't notice the boys." Peter said quietly and left. Kitty sat and stared at the lit up fireplace, pondering what he had meant.

**X**

Marie found Logan late at night, working out in the gym. He was currently lifting weights.

"You should always work with a spotter" Marie said to him, as she sat down on another bench.

"I can handle it!" Logan said, panting, "Besides it's pretty heavy. They might not be able to lift it"

"Peter would, Guido, Dr. McCoy… should I go on?"

"Fine, but maybe I like bein' alone." Logan put the weight back on its place.

"Of course you do. You always have." Marie smiled gently "What's wrong this time?"

"Nothin'. How are you doin'?" Marie knew he was stalling, but wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"I'm good. You?"

"Good."

"Would you tell me if there was something wrong?" Marie asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the issue." Logan said. Marie smiled at his honesty.

"Fine. So is the 'issue' Marie-friendly this time?" Marie asked and picked up a small 2 pound hand weight.

"Told you, there's nothin' wrong!" Logan said, beginning to become annoyed. Marie noticed.

"How's it going with training the X-Men?" Marie asked, to keep the conversation going.

"You should know, since you've been to every single session we've had since Alcatraz. Trouble lettin' go?" Logan smiled at her, knowing her too well.

"Yeah, that was kinda the reason I came looking for you" Marie said "Can you teach me to fight?"

Logan looked at he for a while, then smiled and said: "Of course I can, but why would you wanna fight?"

"I'm just sick of being the weakest one here! I'm sick of not being an X-Man! I'm sick of-"

"Being human?" Logan lifted his brow.

"No, I'm just sick of not being a mutant. Do you know what I mean? It's not that I don't want to be able to touch people, but I feel so out of place sometimes."

"A freak among the freaks, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda" Marie laughed.

"And how do you think fighting could help you?"

"I was kinda thinking of joining the X-Men again…"

"No way!" Logan stood up. Marie did as well.

"Why not?"

"It's way too dangerous!"

"Well, why do you think I want to learn to defend myself?!"

"I don't care! I will not let you put yourself in danger just because you feel out of place." Logan was shouting, he was angry, but clearly very concerned as well.

"You can't decide what I do! You're not my father!" Marie was shouting too. She had hoped Logan would understand.

"You're right. But I am the leader of X-Men, and I won't allow you to join the team. If you were injured I would never forgive myself. Don't you understand? You can't use my powers to heal you anymore." Logan sat down again.

"You can't heal any of the others either!"

"Bu-" Logan didn't know what to say. He simply cared too much about Marie to let her join the team. He had not liked it from the beginning. They had had too many casualties over the years.

"But they're not me." Marie said quietly. "I'm not a child anymore."

"I know, kid. I'll teach you self-defense, and maybe you can join the team, but I ain't promisin' anything!"

Marie hugged him tightly and thanked him many times. "When can we begin?"

**X**

A week after the 'teacher auditions', the student body was gathered in the auditorium. They hadn't been told what it was about, so of course everybody in the room was talking loudly about the reason they were there. The teachers sat in the front row, and when it seemed that all the students had arrived, Ororo entered the stage. Quickly the room became quiet. Everyone had great respect for their principal, who could control the weather and easily send a lightening blot through you. Ororo looked around for a while. Hank could tell that she was a bit nervous, but doubted any of the others knew. Ororo was a strong independent woman, without many fears, but she had a big heart and cared about her 'children' and that quickly transformed into fear of letting them down. Though she had never said it, she had terrible doubts about her competence as headmistress.

"Good day, everybody!" Ororo said "I have gathered you here because the fall break is ending soon. Some months ago we lost two teachers…" She was quiet for a moment as everybody remembered Professor Xavier and Mr. Summers with respect.

"The rest of the staff would have had a hard time filling their places, so we have added some people. Please give a warm welcome to your new teachers. First is Brian Braddock; he will teach English literature and physics." Brian Braddock entered the stage and the students clapped. Those who knew the girl named Elizabeth Braddock started asking her f they were related.

"Okay, then there is Doug Ramsey, who will teach math." Ororo continued. Again they clapped as he entered the stage. He was a handsome man, and most of the girls quickly noticed.

"Roberto DaCosta will teach Spanish." More clapping.

"Alison Blaire will teach music. We have not had the subject before, but I hope it will interest you."

Alison Blaire entered the stage with an electric guitar and started playing 'School's out'. After a minute of playing and improvising, she ended and the applause was supplemented with cheers and whistles.

"All right! And most of you already know Dr. Hank McCoy. He will teach biology and chemistry." The clapping was not quite as enthusiastic as with Alison Blaire, but still more than the others' as Hank was well-liked especially among the younger students. They all thought of him as a teddy bear.

"Charles Xavier taught German last year, and we have not been ably to find a replacement, so the subject will be cancelled this year." The students weren't sure if they were allowed to cheer, so they kept quiet.

**X**

After the presentation, the students went back to their previous occupations, the talk even more eager than before. They were all discussing the new teachers.

Ororo went to her office with Hank, to plan the schedules for the rest of the year. After some hours of work, Hank had to leave for the UN, and Ororo was left alone in Charles' old office. She didn't like being alone there. That was when she missed her mentor the most. She walked over to the large windows and stared at the (entirely natural) rain. She smiled as she thought of a little girl, who had complained that their headmistress would let it rain as she could so easily make it go away. Ororo had tried to explain that just because they had the power to do something it didn't necessarily mean that they should. The girl didn't understand, and Ororo knew that Xavier would have been much better at explaining it. Her thought were interrupted, as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." she said, without turning around.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," a gentle male voice said with a German accent "but I heard you were looking for a German teacher."

Ororo turned around and couldn't believe her own eyes. "Kurt?"

* * *

The 'you're special' line is a nod to Minisinoo's great fanfic about movieverse-Scott's origin called 'Special'.

In the comicverse Brian and Elizabeth are twins, but I've taken some artistic license and changed the ages a bit. Besides, not many other things in the movies are like the comic, so why should this be?

"Hey there girly!" is for Louise.

The chapter title _"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing"_ is by the band _Garbage_ off the album, _Version 2.0_.

* * *

What did you think? Please review!!!! It's the only pay I get ;- 


	3. Chpt 3 The Search For Something More

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter three: ****The Search For Something More**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

* * *

"Kurt? Is it really you?" Ororo ran into the blue mutant's arms. He was quite surprised with his warm welcome.

"It's so good to see you. Where have you been? I haven't seen you in such a long time." Ororo said and hugged him tightly. She had really missed him, and there had been a lot of times when his comfort and guidance could have been useful to her.

"Well, I have been a lot of places. But when I heard about what happened with the cure and all that, I thought you could need a hand or two here." Kurt said and smiled shyly, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing just fine. I am the headmistress now."

"Of course you are. Nobody would be more perfect for the job than you."

"Except the professor and Scott" Ororo muttered to herself.

"Do you still need a German teacher?" Kurt asked.

"Not anymore…" Ororo said and smiled.

**X**

Scott had showered after a long session of rehabilitation. When he came back to his room -- closely followed by a big mutant, Scott was sure didn't mean to be noticed -- Remy was already there.

"Let me guess. Eggs and bacon?" Scott said, closing the door and gesturing towards the tray Remy was holding.

"Non. Gumbo!" Remy said with a smile. "Don' hate it 'till you try it!"

"Exactly _what_ is gumbo?" Scott asked with a pessimistic face.

"Well it… is a mix of t'ings. A Cajun meal. Remy hopes you like spice, 'cos this stuff is _hot_!!"

Scott sat down on the bed next to Remy. "Well you—" Scott was about to say; you only live once, and rolled his eyes at too many clichés that just didn't work in the mutant world.

"Comment?"

"Uh, you … seem to know what you're doing when it comes to food, so I guess I'll trust you on this one." Scott said and took the tray. On the tray there was a deep plate with the so-called gumbo. A glass of water stood next to it. Scott quickly needed the water, because Remy had been right about the spices.

"Do you like it?" Remy asked.

"I'll get used to it" Scott said, after nearly emptying the glass. Remy took the glass and went outside to fill it again. Scott waited with his next bite until he came back.

"So how's it going?" Remy asked

"It's getting better. I'm hoping I'll soon be back to my old shape." Scott said, and took his next bite.

"You planning to escape then?"

Scott hesitated, wondering if it was wise to tell Remy about his plans.

"It's alright, you can tell Remy… oh, wait! _Merde_!"

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, as Remy looked nervously around.

"Sinister is always listening…" Remy whispered. "It's not safe 'ere!"

They were both silent for a while, Remy discovering hidden cameras and microphones, Scott eating.

Once Remy had found and destroyed them all, he returned to Scott's bed.

"'E can't 'ear or see us now" Remy said.

"And how do you know he won't be coming in here to see what's going on?" Scott asked

"'Cause 'e's busy," Remy said.

"With what?"

"Experimenting" Remy said.

"Well, then I'm definitely escaping!" Scott said.

Remy smiled, "Good, I'll 'elp you!"

"Why?"

"Because, Remy can't escape alone and neither can you." Remy said, not willing to tell Scott about Sinister's plans. Remy just hoped they could get out in time, before the evil mutant did whatever he was going to do.

"Fair enough"

**X**

Warren Kenneth Worthington III had just gotten back to the school from a meeting in New York. After what happened at Alcatraz Island, his father was slowly beginning to accept him the way he was. He was also beginning to include him in the family business. Warren was proud and grateful, but bored nonetheless. As soon as he got to his room, he lost his shirt, tie and the wing rack that held his wings tight to his body. His wings spread out in all their glory. They were aching after a long time of having been folded together. He opened his big window and flew out of it.

Elizabeth Braddock, Betsy among friends, had noticed Warren's arrival and quickly ran to the attic, where there was a window that led to the roof. On the roof she admired Warren for some time. He _did_ look like an angel with the long white wings, blond hair and blue eyes. She was falling for him, and had to do something about it. Betsy was a girl of action, and she was not afraid to take chances.

He noticed her immediately. He wondered what such a beautiful and tough girl would want with him, but put on a little show for her, nonetheless. After some time he flew to the roof and settled down next to her. Her long dark purple hair was flowing in the wind.

"How's it going wing-boy?" she asked him, with her British accent.

"It's alright. The wings are a little tense, so I was just stretching them a bit." He said and tried to sound confident, which he wasn't! She found it cute.

"I see." She said and moved a little closer "Wanna take me for a flight some day?"

"Uh… sure, if you want to."

"I'd love to! Maybe we could go see a movie or something afterwards…"

"Really?" Warren couldn't believe what he was hearing, "like a… a—"

"A date? Yeah, like a date. So, are you up for it?"

"Alright." Warren tried not to, but he was grinning like an idiot.

"Good, shall we say Friday? Around 8?" she asked coolly, but inside she was screaming with joy.

Warren nodded still smiling, "I better get to class. I'll see you around" he said, and flew.

Betsy let out a girlish giggle, and tried to catch her breath. She was finally going on a date with the millionaire angel. She was also going to be late for music class if she didn't hurry up.

**X**

Betsy arrived in the music room shortly after Warren. His wings were once again folded underneath his clothes, which were now jeans and a cashmere sweater. Betsy smiled and winked at him, and he blushed and gave a shy smile back. She found that _so_ adorable.

The room was a relatively small room, normally used for regular classes. Now it was equipped with 20 chairs and a piano. The senior students were slowly beginning to find their seats, when Alison Blaire entered. She had brought a guitar.

"Alright! Be quiet everybody!" she said loudly, and the room quieted. "I'm Ms. Blair and I'm your music teacher. I know you haven't had music as a subject here, so we'll start slowly. Do any of you play instruments?" A few students put their hands up, and told which instruments they played.

"Good! Now, besides all of the historical and theoretical stuff you need to learn, we are also going to do a lot of _practical_ stuff. As you are a very small class, I'm going to make you a large band. Now what does a band consist of? Yes Jubilation?"

"Jubi_lee_! Do you mean a rock band or like jazz or something?" Jubilee asked.

"Just a normal band, playing normal popular music. And by popular I don't necessarily mean pop music. Just the kind of music that is played in the radio. Katherine?"

"Just call me Kitty. Piano, guitar, bass, drums, maybe some brass instruments, strings… still depends a lot on the music you're gonna play."

"Very good. Now let's say we're going to play uh… let's see… this song by Oasis: Wonderwall. Do you all know it?" Most of the students nodded, while Alison plugged her iPod to the stereo. "Which instruments would you use then?"

**X**

As time went by, more and more of Raven's skin was becoming blue, and her eyes were still yellow. She didn't know what to make of it, until she decided to visit the small forgotten area of New York City where the Morlocks lived. Most people called the place Mutieville. The Morlocks were mutants; the ones whose mutations were too obvious and abnormal, that they weren't able to walk around in public. If it hadn't been for Magneto, she would probably have lived there too. A fact she tried very hard to forget.

A big number of Morlocks had understandably taken the cure, and most of those who hadn't had joined Magneto and died at the Phoenix' hand. But now it seemed that most of the cured mutants were coming back. Raven met one of her, he couldn't be called a friend, but they knew each other. He was called Caliban. As a mutant his skin had been gray, and his bones abnormal. After the cure, he had become a rather good looking man, but now his bones had begun to grow again.

"I see it's happening to you too" he started to say, as he noticed her yellow eyes "Too bad. You were so pretty as a hum—"

Raven slapped him across the face. "Don't you _dare_ say it!" she yelled at him. She felt the angry tears fill up her eyes again. She quickly blinked them away and pulled herself together.

"What is happening to us? Why isn't the cure working?" she asked calmly.

He thought a while about what to answer. He was afraid that she might slap him again, or worse.

"We don't know. It just happens. I guess the cure just isn't permanent" he said with a sad face. "If you want some kind of analysis or something, maybe you should see Hank McCoy."

"I don't need that. When you're fully mutated again, will you call me? I need you to find a certain mutant for me."

**X**

"So what did you think of Ms. Blaire's class?" Bobby asked his girlfriend.

"It was great. It's nice to get away from the books sometimes. And she was so nice. She really understands us, and knows a lot about our kind of music." Marie answered.

"Come on! Oasis?! She's totally living in the wrong millennium" Jubilee said from behind them. Marie, Kitty, Bobby, Peter and Jubilee were all on their way from the music class to physics.

"There's nothing wrong with Oasis. Just because they aren't from last _week_, it doesn't mean their music isn't good." Kitty said.

"Oh wake up Kitty-cat! Nobody likes your old-fashioned loser-rock!" Jubilee said, half teasing half serious.

"Just because she doesn't like your kind of music, it doesn't mean she is a loser!" Marie said, surprised that she was defending Kitty. For some time she had been rather jealous of her and Bobby's close friendship. "Besides Oasis was more pop than rock. And they were _good!_"

Kitty was just as surprised and Marie was. Jubilee stormed off to find some of her other (more popular) friends, and left the four others.

"Wow, thanks!" Kitty said to Marie sincerely.

"You're welcome. Jubilee is a good friend, but she can be a bitch sometimes. It's not fair that she thinks that her way is the only right way." Marie said and smiled. Bobby and Peter nodded to each other, smiling. The air was cleaned between the girls, and they could all be friends again.

**X**

Scott had completely lost his sense of time during his stay at the base, because he never saw the sun, so he simply slept when he was tired and ate when he was hungry or when Remy fed him. He had often thought about asking Remy about the time and date, but always forgot.

At a time where he usually slept, he was now sneaking around in the base. He figured that most of the other inhabitants would be asleep. And he was right; apart from the occasional guards the base was asleep. He found his way back to the lab, and this time he went inside. Inside the large but dark room, there was everything a mad scientist could need and more. Some of the instruments looked more like they should be used for torture than experiments. And Scott was afraid that some of them were.

He found test-tubes, x-rays, radioactive chemicals, and other dangerous liquids. And was that scratch marks? They looked like Logan's claws and appeared on many walls. Probably from the time Logan had escaped the Weapon X program, or when he and the other X-Men including Scott had escaped from Stryker. The more he found, the more he wanted to run for his life, and get as far away from the place as he could. Unfortunately he knew it would be impossible without his power blasts.

Finally he got to a small closed off room. Inside he found Remy lying on a table, asleep or unconscious. He had several needle-marks and scars on his arms, and some wounds. He was pale and breathing heavily.

"Remy! Remy wake up!" Scott said "Wake up!"

Scott checked the pulse and opened Remy's eyes. Suddenly Remy grabbed Scott's hands and both sets of hands started glowing.

"Remy, it's me. I'm not gonna hurt you." Scott said calmly.

Remy blinked a few times, and looked up at Scott. Their hands stopped glowing.

"I'm sorry" Remy said in a low voice. He sat up and looked at his arms. He quickly pulled the sleeves down to hide the scars and wounds "I'm sorry you 'ad to see dat"

"I have seen much worse, thank you." Scott said "What the hell happened to you?"

"As Remy told you, Sinister likes experimenting on unlucky mutants. C'est moi" Remy said and shook his shoulders.

"Remy, we're getting out of here. Now!" Scott said.

"Now? Are you crazy? Now de security is de most."

"What do you mean? There are only a few guards that we can easily take out—"

"Mais non, you see dat's what Sinister wants us to believe, but really dere are 'idden guards and traps everywhere" Remy explained "Non, it's better if we wait until tomorrow. Jus' be ready and I will come for you, d'accord?"

Scott wanted to protest, but found that he had to trust Remy. "Sure, whatever you say. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Remy always knows what 'e's doing!" he said and smiled.

"Right. Now lie down, I'll take care of those" Scott said, referring to the wounds. He had after all lived with a doctor for almost a decade.

**X**

"Okay, if a guy comes up to you from behind like this…" Logan stood behind Marie in the gym. It was the first of her fighting lessons. "…And attacks you…" Logan put his arms around Marie's neck "What do you do?"

"Well, if I knew how to do it, I'd grab you and, you know, throw you over my head, like in the movies." Marie said, dead sure it was the wrong answer.

"Right… if today, you were attacked like this, what would you do?" Logan asked rolling his eyes, tightening his grip around Marie's neck. He hated doing it, but knew he had made a promise and had to keep it.

"I don't know. Probably scream and try to kick him or something…" Marie sighed "Can't you just tell me how I'm supposed to do?"

"I need to know how much you know. What you're capable of." Logan said "Now take this seriously, this isn't a movie. In this world people die! If you don't know how to defend yourself, you're as good as dead!"

"Okay, alright!" Marie took a deep breath and tried to move free of his grip. She knew it was hopeless, but had to try. Then she stepped on his toes and tried to kick his legs.

"Alright, now because you're a small woman, this won't do much difference to the attacker, but as you said even small women can through heavier men in the way you said. Okay, grab my arms." Logan said and Marie did as told "The trick is to use your back to lift me, not your arms. Obviously you can lift me anyway, but Sam here will be your sparring partner for the lesson"

The scrawny boy named Samuel Guthrie or just Sam was a few years younger than Marie. He was nearly invincible, but not particularly heavy, and therefore a good sparring partner. He had been standing in the back of the gym until Logan had called him forth. Logan stepped away and let Sam take his place. Marie smiled at him, her way of telling him not to be afraid, and grabbed his arms instead. Sam nodded back. Logan took a place in front of Marie and instructed her in how to throw Sam. After many attempts, she succeeded.

After that they did some cardio and weightlifting. When they we're done Marie showered and met Logan in the kitchen. She was hungry and he had made her omelets.

"Here try this. The protein will be good for you." Logan said and placed the plate with omelets in front of her.

"I didn't know you cooked." Marie said surprised

"Neither did I, but I just thought I'd try it" Logan said.

"Thanks. So how did I do?" Marie asked.

"Considering you've had the danger room training before, you did alright. But you've always relied on 'borrowing' the others' powers in the danger room, and now you can't do that"

"I know. So how did I do?"

"You did fine. But I'm glad you asked me to do this. I'm afraid you're gonna need it."

**X**

"How was your first day?" Ororo asked the new teachers at dinner.

"It's was great!" Alison said "I think the kids really enjoyed it"

That was the recipe for a good teacher, Ororo thought, someone who found joy in the children having a good time.

"I'm glad. Brian, what did you think?" Ororo asked.

"Sure. It was nice. Charles taught them well." Brian said and smiled. It lifted years off of his face.

"I have a question" Doug Ramsey said "What happened to the other teachers? Losing three teachers at the same time seems an awful lot to me." The others nodded in agreement.

Ororo and Logan looked nervously at each other. Hank wasn't present as he was at work at the UN. Finally Ororo spoke: "Some months ago we lost our friend dr. Jean Grey. Then some weeks ago Professor Charles Xavier and Scott Summers were… killed." The other teachers except Kurt gasped in horror.

"What happened?" Alison asked.

Ororo looked down, and Logan grasped her hand under the table.

"Maybe some other time" Logan said. For now all you need to know is that they were killed.

Ororo looked up and smiled "Of course you need not worry about your own safety at this school. I assure you that we have taken every safety precaution possible."

"And now that Hank McCoy has become ambassador, the world has become a much safer place for mutants" Roberto said.

"It has indeed." Ororo said.

**X**

When Scott got back to bed after talking to Remy, he didn't notice the dark figure in the far corner of the room. He didn't bother turn on the light, but went straight to bed. He lay for a long time, thinking about what had happened. He could not wait until they got away from this place. Far too many terrible things had gone on here.

He finally fell asleep, but was awaken after a few hours by an excruciating pain going through his entire body. It was, if possible, even worse than when Jean had atomized him. After some minutes, the pain was completely gone. Scott was left with a weird feeling of his body being too small for him. Like there was not enough space for his soul to fit in there. It was even worse in his head, and it ended up giving him a headache. He didn't fall asleep again that night, but the weird feeling eventually disappeared, and the dark figure was gone as well.

* * *

The chapter title _"The Search For Something More"_ is by the band Antifreeze

* * *

You know the drill… please review! I love feedback! 


	4. Chpt 4 You Gotta Go There To Come Back

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter four: You Gotta Go There To Come Back  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

* * *

"Ready?" 

"Yeah… yeah I'm ready! Let's go!"

Remy came into Scott's room, just before noon. Scott hadn't slept, but he wasn't feeling tired. He had that old feeling he used to get before he boarded the X-jet to go on a mission. He wasn't nervous, he hardly ever was, but it was still a tingling feeling of nervous excitement. He knew, what they were going to do was dangerous, but he was also sure that they could handle it, and his head was filled with plans and strategies.

He got out of bed, and looked down at the clothes Remy had given him, some days earlier. Scott had gotten tired of the white hospital robe he had woken up in, when he was resurrected.

Together the men stepped out into the hallway. People didn't think them suspicious, and their way was without trouble until the big man, called Blockbuster, asked them what they were doing.

"Jus' taking the guy to 'is re'ab" Remy said without hesitating, and hoped Blockbuster would let them go. And so he did.

When they finally arrived at one of the many doors, the one that wasn't buried under water, Remy told Scott to wait behind a corner until he came back.

Remy went past the guards and outside, where he found his motorcycle and prepared it for their escape. He knew that as soon as they tried to fight their way out, all hell would break loose, and they would need a quick escape. When Remy came back, Scott was still waiting for him. Scott didn't question where he had been, so they moved on.

The guards were not easy to defeat, but it feel good to finally fight again, Scott thought, even though he had to do it without his blast.

It is a funny thing how we can judge a change as a curse, which wrecks your life, and then when you lose it, you realize that it was actually better than what you had before. Man has a long history of always wanting what he doesn't have.

Remy was a very skilled fighter, which helped Scott a lot. Finally the big guards were knocked out, but not before they had hit the alarm. Scott and Remy hurried out the door, where Remy lead them to his motorcycle. Remy started it, while Scott got on and soon they were on the way.

When they had driven for a few miles, Scott noticed something: "Hey! This is my motorcycle!"

"No way, mon ami! T'is is mine! I found it!" Remy said and slowed down a little.

"You _found _it?" Scott said, and Remy nodded, "Where?"

"At the lake"

"Of course you did, because I put it there when I came—" Scott looked back, at the sunbathed lake getting smaller and smaller. He never wanted to go back to that place. He turned around again and said: "Look at the side; there should be an 'x' on the side."

Remy looked down at the side of the fuel tank, with one eye on the road. "Yes, and so what?"

"Do you think that's standard for every Harley?"

"Non, but I thought dat it was cool, so I didn't worry about it."

"Well, it stands for Xavier's school for gifted youngsters."

"Oh, so it is your bike!"

"Yes!"

"Well, it's mine now!" Remy said with a mischievous smile.

**X**

"Are you sure about this mr. Trask?"

"Yes" Trask, the secretary of defense said.

"But the president said… Hank McCoy, he's…"

"The president isn't here, and neither is McCoy!" said Trask, with an annoyed tone.

"But—" his assistant, Graydon Creed was hesitant about his boss' new plan. Even though he hated the mutants, he didn't hate the authorities, and was afraid that their idea might not be quite legal.

"Please! If you don't have anything better to do, then go away!" Trask said, and looked his blueprints through again. Around him, there were a whole bunch of people working on some kind of machine. They were welding, bolting and cutting. Whatever they were building, would be enormous.

Creed did as his boss said, and went outside. When he returned, he had an even more nervous look on his face. Trask was still bent over his blueprints in deep concentration.

"Mr. Trask."

Trask looked up.

"It's the president. He wants to talk to you." Creed said.

Trask quickly threw his blueprints in a drawer and hurried out of the big workshop. Creed followed him, and told him the president was waiting for him upstairs, in the office.

"Good evening, Mr. President." Trask said, with his most formal tone.

"Good evening." The President said with a stern look on his face.

"My assistant says, you want to talk to me. Can I offer you anything? Coffee? Tea? Something stronger?"

"No thanks. Your assistant is right. I do want to talk to you. My sources tell me that you are planning to build some form of mutant killing machine" the President said concerned. "Please tell me it isn't true"

Trask to his time to ponder what to answer. He went to his bar and pulled out a small bottle. He poured the liquid into a small glass, and emptied it.

"Trask?"

"Ah yes. I am sorry to say, that your 'sources' are right. But I do not wish to kill the mutants. It is merely a defensive weapon against hostile mutants, like Eric Lensherr. You saw what happened at Alcatraz. I'm merely trying to prevent it from happening again." Trask finally said.

The President put his hands to his face. "Do you have any idea, how the mutant community will react to this?"

"They will never know."

"The people know everything! Nothing in this world can be kept a secret as long as the media exist!" The President was clearly angry.

"Mr. President"

"For all I know, this could turn into another Ausburg!!" the President yelled.

"Mr. President, I will never allow that to happ—"

"That's what they all say! But as soon as that machine is out there, we have lost all control, and you know that!" The President gathered himself and said in his normal voice "You will have ended this project by the end of this week, or it will be the end of your career. Understood?"

"Of course Mr. President"

**X**

Friday at 6 pm, Lorna and Tessa were helping their best friend get prepared for her date. Betsy had been trying on clothes since after dinner. Now that they had finally found the right attire, they were doing her make-up and hair. Betsy had been looking forward to the date, since the day it was arranged. She had been scouting out good restaurants and other places they could go, and now she had the whole evening planned.

"I can't believe you're going out with Warren Worthington! You're so lucky!" Lorna said, while straightening Betsy's long hair.

Betsy knew Lorna only meant that, because Warren had money, but she didn't care. She had fallen for him, and whatever the rest of the world thought of her wasn't important.

"When was the last time you were on a date?" Betsy asked

"Gosh, I don't know! Six months maybe… Ever since I broke up with Sean, I haven't really been able to go out."

Lorna had been dating Sean Cassidy, a fellow student, almost since she came to the school. Half a year ago he had broken up with her and since that, she had almost been celibate.

"I'm not even going to ask you when you were on a date" said Betsy and smiled at Tessa.

Tessa was a dating expert. She was a very beautiful girl, with long wavy black hair, blue eyes and a body to die for and not afraid to show it, so of course she was adored among the guys at school. She was really intelligent too, being a human computer and all, and of course, guys that age love computers.

"Actually I haven't been on a date since Saturday!" Tessa said, slightly insulted by the insinuation that she was always dating. Even though she knew, Betsy was right.

"Anyway! Lorna and I are not the subject here. Our biggest problem right now is making you look like a million bucks!" Tessa said.

"But that's only pocket change for Warren" said Lorna

"You know what I mean!" Tessa said and hit Lorna playfully with a hairbrush.

About two hours later, Betsy was finally ready. And she looked stunning. Since she was also going flying with Warren, Betsy had ditched her previously chosen skirt for a pair of blue jeans. She was wearing a light green low cleavage shirt and a black leather jacket. She was wearing the all-stars-shoes that she always wore. She didn't want to feel too dressed up, but she still wanted to feel pretty. Normally she didn't care much about fashion or clothes, but at special occasions she wanted to look her best, which was why she had asked her two friends for help, because she was clueless when it came to putting clothes together.

In another room, Warren was now also ready for the date. He didn't have the luxury of helpful friends, but on the other hand, it wasn't really something guys did. He hadn't really known what kind of date it was, so he wore a nice baby blue button-down shirt and jeans. He was about to open the door, when Betsy opened it.

"Oh bugger! I should have knocked, shouldn't I?" Betsy said nervously.

"No, it's alright. Wow! You look amazing" Warren said, and blushed when he realized he had said the last part out loud.

"Why thank you. That's what I was going for" Betsy smiled "You look quite handsome yourself"

Warren just blushed even more. "Sha-shall we go?"

**X**

After driving for some hours, Scott and Remy stopped at a diner. They ate and drove on. They didn't say much, but inside they were both very happy to finally be free. Late at night they stopped for gas, and found a small motel. They found two rooms, and Scott went to bed immediately. He was feeling strangely tired and he had a migraine. Remy went off somewhere to find some girls or something.

Scott woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. But reality seemed to become worse that the dream. As Scott opened his eyes, a red energy beam shot out of his eyes. Out of old habit Scott closed his eyes immediately, but too late. The damage was done. Scott, of course, couldn't see it, but there was a big hole where the ceiling used to be. A few minutes later, Remy and some other curious people knocked on the door to see, what was going on.

"Mon dieu!" said Remy and ran to Scott's side "W'at 'appened?"

"My eyes… my powers are back!" Scott said with his hands over his eyes.

"Okay, we're outta 'ere!" Remy said and grabbed Scott's arm. Remy led him towards the door, where terrified onlookers were blocking the way "Move people!" Remy shouted "Blind man coming through!"

With some trouble Remy and Scott managed to get out of the motel, when they heard police sirens.

"Merde! The cops!" Remy said, and pulled Scott with him to the motorcycle.

Soon they were far away from the motel and the police. Scott held Remy's jacket tightly, his eyes still squeezed shut.

"So what's the deal, compain? You can't control your… whatever that was?"

"Energy beams. No, I can't control it. When I was little, I was involved in a plane crash." Scott said, reminiscing old traumas "My parachute caught fire and I landed on my head, damaging the art of my brain that was supposed to control my powers. My energy beams come from the sunrays. I guess now that I'm outside again, and my body being able to absorb the sunrays, my powers are back."

"Annoying, huh?" Remy said "The plane crash: Were there any other people?"

"Yeah… my parents and my little brother. My parents gave the last parachute to us, and we never saw them again. My little brother and I ended up in an orphanage. He was quickly adopted, but nobody wanted a brain-damaged kid, so I stayed there until I could escape."

"I'm sorry" Remy said sincerely. The man had first lost his parents, then his brother, and now his wife. Remy was sure that setting Scott free, had to be a good thing. And that scared him a bit, because he could not recall the last time, he had done something good.

"It's alright! It was a long time ago…" Scott said, but Remy could hear the pain in his voice. "Just get me to Westchester as soon as possible!" Scott really needed a new pair of sunglasses, so he could see again without destroying everything.

**X**

"So where do you wanna go?" Warren asked his date, as they were sitting in his car; a silver Mercedes-Benz.

"I dunno. Not too fancy!" Betsy said.

"Great!" Warren smiled "I'm getting pretty tired of caviar"

Betsy smiled, glad that Warren could finally relax a little.

"Oh! I know a fantastic place in downtown Westchester. It kinda small, but their lasagnas are amazing!" Betsy said, and gave Warren the directions.

Betsy had been right. The lasagnas very truly amazing, Warren thought.

"Why are people staring at us?" Betsy asked Warren, as she looked around the small restaurant.

"Because I'm the millionaire heir to the industrial throne, and I hardly ever get out" Warren said, looking annoyed. "Whenever people can get a glimpse of me, it's like manna from Heaven or something."

"So I guess there's a backside to the gold-medal, huh?"

"There definitely is" Warren said "But at least it allows me to be a gentleman and pay for dinner."

Two paparazzi came in through the doors, while Warren asked for the check.

"Mr. Worthington! Who's the girl? A fiancée, perhaps? When's the wedding? What's her name?" they asked, while clicking their cameras desperately.

Warren quickly paid the check, and dragged Betsy out of the restaurant. They hid in a small alley, while waiting for the paparazzi to go away. Warren held her closely, and she rather enjoyed it, but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he pulled away.

"Sorry about that. This wasn't a very good idea…" Warren apologized.

"What do you mean? I'm having a great time. Don't you get it? I love spending time with you." Betsy said and leaned closer to Warren "I don't care if we're being chased by paparazzi or just working together in class. Whenever I'm with you, I feel great. To be really corny, I'd almost say I feel complete."

"Wow!" was all Warren could say "All of this doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me, but it not like I can change it, right? You are who you are, but I don't care if you're a gazillionaire, or just Warren from school. As long as you're some kind of Warren. Now stop complaining and take me flying!"

**X**

"… and then I ended up in high school in California." Scott told Remy at a gas station. "At prom night, my powers emerged and I was on the run again. After some time Charles Xavier found me, and brought me to his school. At the time, I was the only student, but as the number of mutants increased, the number of student also increased, and it quickly became the school it is today."

Scott was consistently squeezing his eyes shut, so he didn't hurt anyone, but it was starting to become quite painful.

"Do you 'ave any idea of where we're going?" Remy asked.

"Some. Do you?" Even with his eyes closed, Scott's sense of direction was uncanny.

"I suppose you'd like t'go back to y'school, right?"

"Yes, but where do you want to go. Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Non, not really…" Remy said, and pulled out his wallet. It was stolen, but Scott didn't know that.

"You're always welcome at Xavier's." Scott said.

"Some'ow I don' t'ink an upstate New York prep school is the place for Remy. Uh-uh" Remy said shaking his head. "Excusez-moi!" he said and went inside to pay.

Scott didn't like sitting alone on the motorcycle, but obviously didn't have a choice. Over the years he had become used to living without his sight, and he had learned to trust his other sense, quite like 'normal' blind people. Scott always hated being helpless, so sometimes (mostly when he was alone), he would walk around the mansion without his glasses, training his other senses. Experience had showed him that his enemies had found a liking in used his one weakness; his eyes.

"So, as I was saying" Remy said, when he came back to the motorcycle "I' afraid I don' fit in in your fancy school."

"And as I said before; you are always welcome." Scott said, and Remy shook his head, and started the engine.

**X**

"What are you doing, handsome?" Kitty said, as she sat down on the sofa in the drawing room, next to Peter. He was sketching, but quickly closed his sketchbook.

"Nothing special. Just doodling" Peter said "So, what do you want for your birthday?"

"Nothing special." Kitty returned "You don't have to give me anything."

"Of course I do! After you gave me those brushes for my birthday, I'm afraid I might have to give you a diamond ring." Peter said. He already knew what he was going to give her, but was trying to divert her.

"Stop it! I gave you those brushes, because you deserved them. And because I destroyed the other ones" she said, with a nervous smile. Peter has wanted to teach her how to paint, and she had destroyed half of his very expensive paint brushes by not washing them afterwards.

"And you don't deserve a diamond ring?"

"No…! I haven't been a very good friend to you, but I'm gonna change that"

"Sounds exciting!" Peter said "And how are you going to change it?"

"Well … I haven't really thought that out yet" she chuckled. "Uhm… How are you feeling today?"

"I'm quite good. Yourself?"

"I'm great, except this new English teacher, Betsy's brother, is a total borezilla!" Kitty sighed "I still miss Xavier."

"We all do." Peter said, then got an idea "C'mon! Let's go!"

"Go where?" Kitty asked confused, but Peter just took her hand a dragged her to the garage. He opened one the cars, then hurried to the cabinet after the keys. When he came back, Kitty had already seated herself in the passenger seat. He got in, started the engines, and they took off.

When they came back, it was already dark, since the winter was approaching. Peter was carrying three massive flower decorations, which they place by the graves of Scott, Jean and Xavier. Kitty hugged Peter tightly and thanked him. Then she took out the storm-candles from her jacket pocket and placed them at the feet of the graves and lighted them.

Peter placed an arm around Kitty, as tears started running down her face.

"I think they'll be glad that we haven't forgotten them" Peter said, and felt tears sting his eyes. "Come on. Let's go inside. I think dinner will be ready any moment now"

**X**

Over a few weeks the two fugitives came closer and closer to Westchester, and the school, and now Scott started thinking about how they would react to seeing him. After all, he was dead to them. He tried reaching Charles with his mind again, but still no answer.

As they stopped at the last motel, before their arrival at the school the next day, he contemplated if he even wanted to return. He had lost his wife, Logan or Storm had probably taken his place a leader of the team, someone had taken his teaching job… Maybe they didn't even need him. Even when Jean was alive, he often had those kinds of thoughts. She was always the one who convinced him, that he was the best thing that ever happened to the school, but what now?

"W'at are you t'inking about?" Remy asked. They were sitting in Scott's room, enjoying some take-out Chinese food.

"Did you ever feel like the place you called home, didn't really need you?" Scott asked him.

"Yes, I feel that way all de time" Remy said, with a roguish grin.

"I'm serious!"

"Okay, alright! Are you thinking about not going back?" Remy asked, with a more serious face.

The accurate guess, scared Scott a little. He was used to those kinds of questions, having been married to a psychic, but Scott was starting to suspect that Remy was psychic too.

"Yes, I am" Scott answered.

"I know Remy haven't known you for a long time, but what I have seen so far… It seems to me dat you are the kind of person people would like having around." Remy smiled sincerely, though Scott couldn't see it. "You have a lousy humor, and you are kind of grumpy, but still… you are de hero-type. You t'ink up plans, and give a lot of orders" Scott had to laugh at that description "You want de best for all good people, and you care. You care about people. If dose people at your school don' want you, it is deir loss."

"Thanks." Scott said, still laughing. He still wasn't entirely sure that _he_ wanted to go back, but appreciated the support nonetheless. He of course needed a pair of glasses, so whether he wanted to stay or not, he had to go.

**X**

"Did you find him?" Raven asked Caliban. He had never called her, but when she visited him again, he was fully mutated, and she had asked him to find Magneto. Now, a few days later, she visited him again.

"No. There is a problem…" Caliban said slowly. His voice had become darker, and slower. Raven thought his brain might be slower too.

"Well? Tell me, what the problem is!" Raven said impatiently.

"Since Magneto is not a mutant anymore, I can't track him"

It was obvious. So obvious, that Raven hadn't even thought about it. It made her so angry that she threw the large man into the wall behind him.

"You—" Raven didn't know what to say. It wasn't Caliban's fault that Magneto had lost his powers to the cure. The cure! Eventually Magneto had to start mutating again. "Keep trying, and this time you _call me_, if you find something! Got it?"

Caliban nodded fearfully.

Raven let him go, and left. She had to find Magneto, before he got his entire strength back, or else it would be impossible for her to kill him.

**X**

When Warren and Elizabeth got back to the school, it was already late at night. They had gone flying over Westchester, and then driven back to the school.

Elizabeth wanted to kiss him so bad, when he said goodnight to her at her door, but she was afraid she might scare him, so instead she hugged him.

"Thank you for coming with me." She said, and regretted the way it sounded. "I mean… I'm glad you wanted to go out with me… oh shit! Thanks for tonight Warren. I really enjoyed it."

"Anytime, Betsy." Warren said and smiled. "I had a great time too…"

The stood there for a while, in a rather uncomfortable silence, both waiting for the other one to take the next step.

"Oh, to hell with it!" Betsy said, and kissed the millionaire.

* * *

The chapter title _"You Gotta Go There to Come Back"_ is by the band _Stereophonics_ off of their album of the same name. 

Aww… such a cute ending! I'm a sucker for fluff.

* * *

Review review review… If you want me to keep writing, reviewing is a good way of keeping me inspired. 


	5. Chpt 5 The Way Back Home

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter Five: ****The Way Back Home**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

* * *

The cold November morning started as any other morning at the mansion. The students and teachers ate breakfast, and went to class. The X-Men squeezed another training session in the danger room in before trigonometry. Now that the new teachers had been employed for a while, Ororo was starting to think, the school was finally finding its way again.

Logan was starting to really enjoy being the leader of the X-Men. At first it was more a necessity than a genuine pleasure, but now he felt comfortable in the role as leader. A role which finally felt natural and Logan no longer had a problem with filling Cyclops' shoes.

They had no idea, what was about to happen…

**X**

Scott and Remy arrived at Xavier's school for gifted youngsters around noon. Everybody was inside, because of the bad weather, and most of them would be gathered in the dining hall for lunch.

Scott didn't want to 'come back from the dead' as a blind man, so he asked Remy to go inside and fetch a pair of his custom made sun glasses, designed to keep his deadly rays in check. Scott carefully explained to Remy, where the glasses might be, and Remy went inside. But first he followed Scott to a place where he wouldn't be seen by someone from the mansion.

It wasn't because Scott wanted to make some dramatical, theatrical entrance, but he didn't want it to be too casual either. He could imagine, what a shock it would give the students, if they suddenly saw their presumed dead teacher and leader standing in the driveway.

**X**

After hiding Scott behind the garage, Remy went inside the big mansion. The sight of the various expensive art works placed in the halls made his fingers tingle. Once a thief, always a thief. But Remy knew he had only one mission this time (he could always come back some other time and steal a painting or two.) He needed to find Scott's glasses.

He walked up the stairs of the main hall, to the students' floor. Then went up the next stairs to the third floor, where teachers and guests slept. He went down the hall to the third door on the right, where Scott's room should be.

The door wasn't locked, so Remy went straight in. Not that a locked door was ever a problem for him. In the bedroom it seemed like people were still living there, and Remy started doubting if he was in the right room, but a picture of Scott and a very beautiful red-haired woman on the bedside table, convinced Remy. The woman was probably his late fiancée.

The entire room, was exactly as Scott had described it. Remy thought people must have found it hard to let go.

Remy opened the door to the closet on the left and found a small drawer, exactly as Scott had described, and found the ruby quartz sun glasses. He couldn't help but let out a triumphant grin.

As he opened the door to go out into the hall again, he was stopped by a young woman with brown hair with a white streak.

"Who are you? And what were you doing in Scott and Jean's room?" The woman asked with a suspicious and demanding tone.

"De name is Remy, chérie." Remy said and smiled his most charming smile.

"I haven't seen you before. What are you doing here?" she asked, still suspicious.

"I'm visiting one of my friends 'ere. W'at is your name, chérie?"

"R- Marie. My name is Marie." She said.

"A beautiful name, for a beautiful girl." Remy said, still smiling. He moved closer to her, as he suddenly remembered Scott telling him something about a girl named Marie. She was the girl, he and Ororo had rescued some years ago.

"'Ow close were you to Scott?" Remy asked her.

"What kind of question is that?! Did you know him?"

"Oui, I know him." Remy said "But 'ow well did you know 'im?"

"I don't know…" Marie was clearly hurt by the question "I mean… he was my teacher, my leader. He saved my life several times. But we never really talked or anything… at least not about anything particularly personal."

"But you miss 'im?"

"Of course I do?!" Remy could see the tears filling up the beautiful girls eyes.

"Shh, cherie, Remy didn't want to make you sad." He said and laid an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't do that!" Marie said, and moved away from him.

Remy was used to the women swooning over him, so Marie's cold attitude surprised him.

"Fine! Sorry… uhh… I need to go, okay? It was a pleasure meeting you" he said and kissed her hand while bowing gracefully. Then he walked quickly down the stairs and hurried out to Scott.

"What the hell took you so long?" Scott asked, when he heard Remy had arrived.

"Sorry… I was 'eld up by a girl named Marie" Remy said, and smiled.

"Rogue?" Scott said, not understanding why she would have introduced herself as Marie, but that could wait "Did you find the glasses?"

"Oui" Remy said and handed Scott his glasses. "By the way…" he said, while Scott put his glasses on "Your fiancée was very beautiful"

"Thanks" Scott said through clenched teeth. He looked around the place he loved so much, and felt the hesitation flush over him again. Now that he had his glasses, he didn't even have to go inside.

"Are you coming?" Remy asked, at the sight of Scott's hesitation.

Scott took a deep breath, sighed, and then said: "Yeah, let's go!"

**X**

Ororo didn't know what to think, when Marie reported her experience with the strange Cajun man. She had never heard of a guy named Remy before, and neither had the other teachers.

She had asked one of the students, gifted with telepathy, if the man was still in the mansion.

"Uhm… he went outside, but now he is in your office, waiting for you" the girl answered.

"Oh my goddess!" Ororo gasped "Thank you very much, Phoebe."

Ororo hurried to the office, to see whatever this man wanted.

Remy was sitting in her chair, with his feet on the table. "You must be Ororo!" he said, and got up. He walked over to her and took her hand "De name is Remy LeBeau" he said and kissed her hand.

"What do you want?" she asked, pulling her hand away from his grip.

Remy's face, became serious and he started biting his lip. "You see… de thing is… you remember your friend Scott?"

Ororo frowned in deep confusion, and nodded.

"I dunno how to say dis… 'e is not dead!"

"How can you say such a thing? What do you want?!" Ororo said. She had learned to be skeptical, and however fantastic her life might have been, people did NOT come back from the dead.

"You t'ink I am a liar? Come and see for yourself!" Remy said, and took Ororo's hand. He closed the door, and behind it Scott was sitting on the sofa.

Ororo gasped and put her free hand to her mouth. "Scott? It is not possible. This must be some kind of cruel joke" she said, and started crying.

Scott stood up, and walked over to her. Remy let go of her hand and stepped away from the two friends' touching reunion.

"Ororo, it's me" Scott said, and took her by the shoulders.

"How?" she sobbed.

"I'll explain later…" Scott said, and embraced his old friend.

"Oh my god!" she sobbed, and clung to Scott as hard as she could. Afraid he might disappear.

After some time, Logan opened the door to see why Ororo was crying. The first thing he saw was Remy, sitting on the desk.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doin' here? What have you done to Ororo?" Logan asked, but quickly sensed a scent, which he hadn't sensed in a long time. Scott's.

Remy pointed to Ororo and Scott, with a big smile.

"Scott?" Logan said, dumbfounded.

Scott let go of Ororo, who was still crying, and put his hand out to Logan.

"Nice to see you again, Logan" Scott smiled, enjoying every second of Logan's confusion.

"It's really you…" Logan said in a low voice.

Scott let his hand go down his pocket, seeing as Logan didn't take it.

Ororo managed to stop crying and dried the tears away.

"Uhm… it's good to have you back…" Logan said, still not getting what was happening.

"It's good to be back" Scott said "Where's the professor?"

Both Logan and Ororo gasped, as they realized that Scott didn't know the professor had died.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"Scott…" Ororo said in a soft voice "The professor is dead."

"WHAT?"

"I'm terribly sorry…" Ororo said "He died shortly after you… after we lost you."

"But how?" Now it was Scott's turn to cry. He had just come back from 'hell' to find his foster-father, teacher and mentor dead. Wasn't it enough that he had lost Jean? That was the reason he hadn't been able to contact the professor. He was dead.

"I'll tell you later" Ororo said "But first you tell me, how this" --she gestured to Scott-- "happened."

So Scott reluctantly told Ororo and Logan, everything about how Dr. Essex had 'recreated' him, how he had met Remy, and how they had escaped. Really he would have rather run off somewhere to cry alone, but had to push his emotions away.

"Sounds a little farfetched to me." Logan said, still a bit suspicious of Scott's resurrection.

"I agree," Scott said "But it's all I know"

Logan didn't know what to say to that. Scott smelled as he always had, was wearing the glasses he always had, talked the same way… It had to be him, but the professor (and Jean) had thought him dead. Jean killed him!! But then again, everybody had thought Jean dead too…

"So, now that I'm done, can you please tell me how the professor died" Scott said, to Ororo.

Ororo and Scott went outside, to watch the graves of Charles Xavier, Jean Grey and Scott Summers. It was the most bizarre experience Scott had ever had; seeing his own gravestone. Ororo told Scott everything that had happened after he 'died'. And Scott listened with horror. He sat down, and the cold grass in front of Charles' grave, and cried his heart out.

The flowers and candles, which Peter and Kitty had placed there the night before, were still there.

**X**

In the office, Logan and Remy were still staring at each other. Ororo had wanted to talk to Scott alone, so Logan and Remy had been left in the office.

"You afraid Scott's gonna come back an' steal your place and your girlfriend?" Remy smiled.

"Ororo ain't my girlfriend!" Logan growled.

"You didn't say 'no' to de question…"

**X**

A few of the students had seen Ororo and Scott from the windows, and soon the word had spread to the entire mansion. _Scott Summers had returned from the dead._

Ororo noticed the curious faces, and knew a little 'press conference' was called for. Soon the school was gathered, once again, in the auditorium.

The talk was even louder than when the new teachers had been introduced.

Once again Ororo was on the stage, with the microphone.

"Dearest students… I have gathered you here today, because a dear friend has returned." Ororo said "We all heard of his death, and accepted it, with time. But we didn't know that he was actually resurrected, and now he is back. I know it sounds very strange, but see for yourselves… It is with great joy in my heart that I welcome back; Scott Summers!"

Scott entered the stage, and the entire room fell to silence, as the students rubbed their eyes in disbelief. After a few silent moments, the students started clapping and cheering, and a few of his closer friends leapt up to embrace him, eyes full of happy tears. One of them was Kurt, who thanked the Lord several times in German, before embracing the man he (in Scott's opinion) hardly knew.

Afterwards, Scott tried to find Remy. He found him in the living room, talking to young blonde woman.

"Oh!" Remy exclaimed "It's Mr. I-don't-care-about-the-guy-who-helped-me-escape-from-Sinister-I-would-rather-run-off-with-ms.-Sexy-African-chick!!"

"Sorry about that" Scott said "But it seems that you had no trouble entertaining yourself while I was gone."

Remy bowed, and smiled. "Never do!"

"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for me, and give you a ride back to town.

"Who says Remy's leaving?"

"You did. Yesterday…"

"Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today" Remy said, one very special lady, had caught his attention, and he didn't plan on leaving until she loved him.

"Alright, suit yourself. I promised you would be welcome anytime. I'll have Ororo find you a room." Scott said, and left.

**X**

After finding Remy a room, Scott finally had some time alone. The last couple of hours had been, the most surreal he had ever experienced, and that was saying a lot. As he returned to his (and Jean's) old room, he sat down on their bed. The recent events were stumbling around in his head. He lay down on his back and carefully rubbed his temples. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he heard a knock on the door. Hank entered.

"Scott."

"Hi Hank!" Scott said, a bit sleepy.

Hank sat down on the bed beside him. "I'm at a loss for words! It is really you. It shouldn't even be possible. Would you mind if I examined you downstairs? It's not that I don't trust you, but I need to know how this happened"

Scott wasn't really in the mood for playing lab-rat, but was rather curious himself, so he agreed.

**X**

Some hours later, Hank had performed any examination and test on Scott that he could think of.

"Fascinating!" Hank said to himself, while Scott was drinking a glass of orange juice, still sitting on the examination table.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"There nothing wrong, actually. According to these result you are completely healthy and very much real. I'll get the DNA results back in some weeks, but everything seems to be fine." Hank said, pulling his glasses off. "How exactly did this Sinister guy explain it?"

"He said… uh… something about… actually he just said he created me again" Scott said

"And you didn't ask how?"

"I was a little shocked, alright?" Scott said, feeling aggravated. "I'm sorry, Hank. I didn't mean to snap… It's just been a really long day, and I've been on an almost non-stop motorcycle ride from Alkali Lake to the school."

"I understand my friend." Hank smiled "I need to get back to the UN office anyway."

"Why?" Scott asked.

"Oh, didn't they tell you?" Hank asked, and Scott shook his head "I was made UN Ambassador of the United States"

"You did? Wow, that's fantastic! How did this happen?" Scott said, his mood suddenly lifted.

"Well, as you know I used to be Secretary of Mutant Affairs, and after what happened on Alcatraz Island, the President thought it was time to promote me, since the X-Men and I saved the day."

"Amazing, so what are you doing here?" Scott said.

"Well, Ororo has had a rough time. She's been carrying a lot of weight, and I had to help her out." Hank said, "Well, I hereby declare you absolutely and definitely Scott Summers. It's good to have you back."

"You too"

**X**

Scott's return was on everybody's lips. The common room was filled with students discussing what had just happened.

"Maybe it's just a shape-shifter pretending to be Scott!"

"Do you think he'll be our math teacher again?"

"Could Xavier be raised from the dead as well? How about my grandma?"

Bobby, Marie, Jubilee, Kitty, and Peter were sitting around a small table

"I hope he will be our team-leader again" Bobby said.

"Why? What's wrong with Logan?" Marie asked.

"He's good at the fighting stuff, but he sucks at tactics!" Jubilee said. "It's all testosterone and no brains!!"

"It's true…" Kitty said "Even _I_ can do better tactics than him!"

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem either, since you're a super-brain" Peter said.

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm just saying…" Kitty said, feeling her cheeks get warmer. She usually didn't respond to those compliments any more. She was actually growing rather tired of them. But it mattered when Peter said it, because she knew he really meant it.

"You're just saying that every bone-head could do better tactics than Logan!" Marie said, defending her mentor and friend "What if he hears you?"

"So, what?!" Jubilee said.

"Scott always told us to admit our weaknesses, so we could take advantage of our strengths" Bobby said.

"Whatever! I think Logan really enjoys being the leader. He feels like he has finally found his place." Marie defended.

"Yeah, Scott's place! Bobby's right. There no use in having Logan as team leader if Scott is better." Jubilee said.

"Fine… but Logan won't give it up without a fight." Marie said.

"He better!" Jubilee answered, "'cause otherwise we'll commit mutiny"

"Stop being so dramatic!" Kitty said "Last week you said that Logan was the best thing that ever happened to this school!"

"That was just because, she saw him with his shirt off" Bobby said.

"Shut up!" Jubilee said and hit Bobby on the arm.

**X**

As it started to become late, Marie was the first to say good night and return to her room.

On the way, she met Remy again. He was waiting for her outside her room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Jus' wanted to see you again, chérie" Remy smiled.

"How did you know this was my room?"

"Well, maybe I didn't."

"… Okay… Wait a minute. How come you are _still_ here? I thought you were just going to drop Scott off and then leave again."

"Me too, but dere 'as been a change of plans. I'm staying. At least for some while" Remy said.

"Oh, okay." Marie was generally confused by this man "Why don't you come inside?" she sighed. For some weird reason she didn't like talking to him in the hallway.

In her small room, Remy sat on her bed, but Marie sat on her desk chair.

"So tell me, what you were doing in Scott's room earlier" she said.

"Getting his sunglasses" he said.

"Why?"

"Because 'e didn't have any, when 'e was resurrected. As soon as 'is body could absorb de sun again, his powers returned and he couldn't see. I guess 'e t'ought it would be too odd if 'e showed up wit' 'is eyes squeezed shut."

"Alright." Marie said, and now she asked the question, which had been burning in her mind, since she met him again "Why did you want to see me again?"

Remy smiled "Because, chére, I 'ave never seen a more beautiful woman in my life, and Remy's seen a lot of women."

Marie got up and looked out the window, so Remy wouldn't see her blush.

"Is somet'ing 'rong?" Remy asked, and got up as well. He stood behind her, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"No!" she said, and pulled away "I gotta go to bed, so if you'll…"

"I understand. It's was nice talking to you again." Remy said, and kissed her hand, before she could pull it away. "Au revoir"

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The chapter title _"The Way Back Home"_ is by _The Wreckers_ off the album, _Stand Still, Look Pretty._

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Still like the story. Tell me what you think. I love reviews! 


	6. Chpt 6 First Day On A Brand New Planet

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter ****six: First Day on a brand new planet**

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any other related material. It belongs to Marvel and Fox. I do not make any money on this.

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The day after Scott's return was if possible even stranger than the day before. As he walked around the mansion on his own, Scott soon realized that they had moved on.

He had been replaced.

So much had happened. Scott found himself staring at his own grave, when his thoughts were interrupted by a young woman with short blonde hair; Alison Blaire.

"You're Scott right?" she asked, a bit uneasy.

"Yes, I'm Scott" he answered, still staring at the grave.

"Kinda surreal, huh? Your own grave…?" she said, as she sat down beside him. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Do you?" Scott asked, sensing she was more curious than concerned.

She smiled nervously and tried to put her short hair behind her ear, failing, which caused her to become frustrated.

"Well, I… when we – the new teachers – asked Ororo what happened to you, she said you had died some months ago. Well now I guess it's more like a half year…"

Had he really been gone for so long?

"… and now you're suddenly back. I mean, even in this screwed up world, that's a little weird, don't you think?" she finished.

"Yeah, I do." Scott said simply.

"So…?"

"So, what? I have already said a dozen times: I have no idea how this is possible. Yet it is. Can't you see that? I'm right here! I'm alive! Flesh and blood!"

"Yes, I can see that. I'm sorry, I was just… trying to understand." She said, moving a tad away from Scott.

"What's your name?" Scott sighed.

"Alison Blaire. I teach music here." She answered, now more confident.

"You do? How did that happen?" Scott asked, glad the conversation moved away from him.

"Well, they were looking for new teachers, but they didn't say for which subjects, so I applied, and got the job." Alison smiled.

"I'm glad." Scott said "The kids could use a bit of music. How are your classes going?"

"We're analyzing music and lyrics, looking at some recent music history and you know occasionally playing something that resembles music."

"Sounds good"

"Not really!" she laughed "But at least most of them are trying."

Alison and Scott sat there for a while until a gust of wind gave Scott goose bumps.

"I'm going inside. It's getting cold out here." Scott said, and stood up and started walking towards the school. Alison did the same.

"So, how can it be you're wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day in November?" she asked him.

"I can't control my powers. The glasses keep them in check." Scott answered for the umpteenth time.

"How annoying!"

"Yeah, it is. For a while, when I was at Alkali Lake, I didn't have my powers. My body absorbs energy from the sun and transforms it to this energy blast, so since I had been isolated for long and hadn't seen the sun, there was no power." Scott recalled.

"That must have been odd"

"It was. Try to imagine seeing everything in a red shade for several years, and the suddenly you're seeing colors again." Scott said, and thought back to the first thing he initially saw in full color: Jean.

"At first it was so beautiful, I almost cried." Scott said. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that it was his presumed dead fiancée he had seen too. "But then you almost miss it. We mutants spend so much time complaining about being freaks, and being cursed, that we sometimes forget that – well not in all cases – but in most, the mutation is a gift. Only now do I fully understand why Charles called the school Xavier's school for _gifted_ youngsters. "

Alison had been quiet for some time now, listening to Scott's musings. He really had needed to talk to somebody, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"I'm sorry. I'm rambling about all sorts of weird things. You probably have something better to do." Scott said, suddenly realizing how many personal things he had just told this stranger.

"It's alright. I like listening to you. So basically you missed seeing red, right?" Alison joked. "I have a class in five minutes so I better bounce, but I'm around if you need to ramble some more."

Alison opened the garden door, and went inside. Scott settled down on a bench on the terrace.

**X**

It wasn't that Logan was angry that Scott had returned. It was just too suspicious. Too good to be true. At least that was what he told himself. In fact Logan had never hated Scott. He had thought him a dick and wanted to beat the crap out of him, yes, but never hated. Scott had not been worthy as Logan's enemy. Besides Jean had loved Scott, so he couldn't have been a total idiot.

Actually the biggest reason Logan and Scott never got along (besides the fact that the loved the same woman), was that they were too alike, even though neither of them would ever admit that. Scott had been just as suspicious about Logan, when he had met him the first time. Scott was just as much a loner as Logan was, but Logan never knew that. Logan never knew much of how Scott really was, because they never talked, besides the usual banter, so when Scott died…

Even though Logan hated to admit it, he was relieved. He was sad on behalf of the others in the mansion, but never felt any grief or sorrow himself. Not like when Charles was killed. He had been devastated when Charles died, and now it annoyed him that it was Scott and not Charles, who had come back from the dead.

He pondered whether his place in the mansion would be taken by Scott. After all Scott had been team leader and shop-teacher before he died. Logan didn't like sitting apathetically in his room, so he decided to tackle the issue head-on. He went to look for Ororo, and figure out what to do. But Ororo was neither in her office or her room, which was rather odd, since it was after school.

On his way back down to the main floor, he heard her voice in –

Scott's room!

_That's just typical!_ Logan thought to himself, and decided not to disturb them, but his plan did not go that well, because Ororo opened the door just as he passed by.

"Logan!" she said smiling "How are you? It was just telling Scott about how well you have handled his classes."

Logan grunted and walked on, and the second he had done it, he regretted. He could see through the corner of his eye that Ororo was hurt by his cold attitude, but it was too late to turn around, so he kept walking.

**X**

"What's wrong with him?" Scott asked his friend, who was standing in the door.

"I'm not sure" she said, and closed the door. "Logan can be a little moody at times"

"A _little_?" Scott asked.

"Stop it! He's been through a lot!" Ororo said.

"Well, that's the same excuse people used to use for me." Scott said.

"Because it was true" Ororo said.

"Yes… but I think it's something different wrong with Logan this time…" Scott had a vague idea of what might be wrong, but hoped Ororo would prove him wrong. He didn't want to be enemies with Logan again. It was just not healthy.

"It might…" Ororo said, knowing what the problem was, but didn't want to say it.

"So am I going to take over my classes or…?" Scott said to change the subject, if only slightly.

"I don't know, really. Do you want to?" Ororo asked.

"Well, yes, but you are the headmaster or –mistress" Scott said, hoping he didn't sound resentful. He pushed his feelings aside, and concentrated on Ororo.

Ororo looked nervously around, and said: "Scott- I… You need to understand that I was never trying to take your place-"

"It's alright, 'Ro. I know you only did what you found best at the time. And there is no one better qualified for the task than you." Scott said, and thought 'Except me', but hated it.

"Thanks" Ororo said, while looking out the window. "Think about what you are going to do about the classes, and I will be at my office, alright?"

"Sure" Scott said, and Ororo hugged him.

"Words can't explain how glad I am to have you back" Ororo said to his shoulder. She let go of him and left the room.

**X**

Remy was waiting for Marie when she came out from the math class. He was hiding behind a corner, when she walked by with Bobby next to her. They were holding hands. A fact Remy pretended he didn't see. Remy walked quickly by and slipped a note into her pocket so gracefully she didn't even notice it until she was sitting in the library. She reached into her pocket to find her pen, when the small note was the first thing she grabbed. Puzzled Marie opened the note:

_Make each day count._

_Meet me by the garage at 4 pm_

Marie looked around. She was alone in the room. She looked at her watch. 3:15. She wondered who the note might be from. It couldn't be Bobby; he wasn't the mysterious type and if he wanted to ask her out he would have asked earlier, when they were together. Was this a joke, a prank? Or was somebody really asking her out? Who could possibly like her…? She had a vague idea who it might be, but did not dare complete the thought.

She went upstairs to her room, while trying to decide whether she was going to go. She finally decided that she was to curious, and one night out couldn't hurt. Now what to wear???

Marie manage to shower and get dressed up by 4 pm. She did not consider her self as a doll, but she liked feeling pretty. Her biggest problem was that she had no idea where she was going.

A couple of minutes past 4, Marie arrived at the garage.

"You're late" said a too familiar Cajun voice.

"I am never late. Everyone else is simply early." Marie retorted, her suspicions true.

"De Princess Diaries 2, you could do better" Remy said.

Marie struggled not to laugh at the fact that he had not only seen the movie, but he recognized the quote.

"Speaking of movie quotes: 'Make each day count'?"

"It's Titanic, you know. It's a classic! And it's your favorite movie" Remy winked.

"Wha- How did you know that?" Marie was shocked.

"Secret! Let's jus' say Remy know what de femmes like" he said.

"P-lease"

"You don' believe me?"

"I never said that! So where are we going?"

"Secret"

Marie rolled her eyes.

"Come wit me" Remy said and attempted to take her hand.

"You know I got a boyfriend, right?"

Remy nodded.

"And I love him."

"Okay"

"Good, let's go" Marie said, but did not accept his hand.

Remy led her to 'his' motorcycle.

"That's Scott's motorcycle!" Marie protested.

"Non, why do everybody keep saying dat?" Remy said.

"Because it is?"

"Non, I found it. It's mine!"

"That's just juvenile!" Marie crossed her arms and looked away.

"Will it 'elp if I say Scott doesn' mind?"

"No, but I would help if I _knew_ Scott didn't mind"

"Why do women have to be so complicated?" Remy muttered under his breath.

"Please jus' come with me. I know Scott doesn' mind, okay" Remy pleaded.

Marie finally gave in, and got on the motorcycle. Remy placed himself in front, and drove. Suddenly he pulled over and killed the engine.

"What's wrong?" Marie asked. Thoughts of assault and rape going through her mind.

"Get up!" Remy said.

"Why? What's wrong?" Marie said.

"You need a 'elmet" Remy said.

"Oh…" Marie said sheepishly, and got up. "Don't you need a helmet?" she asked, when she only saw him finding one helmet in his side bag.

"Non, if my 'ead get smashed: no difference" Remy joked. "No really, it seems Scott only 'as one 'elmet. Guess 'is wife didn' like Harleys."

Marie was saddened by that comment. She took the helmet without a word and the drove on. Finally reaching the center of New York City, Marie started getting very curious and excited.

Remy parked at the Rockefeller Center.

"What are we doing here?" Marie asked, then realized "We're not going- are we going skating?"

"Yup" Remy said, his face cracked in a wide grin. "Come along"

"But it's not Christmas yet"

"So what? All the more reason to skate now. Less people." Remy reasoned.

"Good point." Marie smiled, and Remy thought his knees were going to fail him. He leaned against the motorcycle for support.

"Shall we go?" Marie asked.

Remy took a deep breath and said: "We shall"

Remy was right; though still fairly crowded the ice skating rink was not nearly as crowded as during Christmas.

Remy paid and rented skates and they were ready to go.

Marie was, as most girls from the south, not used to skating. Remy on the other hand showed enormous grace and skill, despite the fact the he was from the south as well.

Suddenly Marie fell down on the ice after a small boy had crashed into her. The boy's mother quickly pulled him up and hurried away without a word. Remy rushed over to Marie.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Marie lied. Her behind hurt, and the chock had almost made her cry.

Remy reached out a hand and helped her up. A tear streaked down her face.

"Chére, what's wrong?" Remy asked.

"Nothing, I was just a bit surprised. I'm okay." She answered.

"Okay, if you say so." Remy said and held her arm while they skated on. They went faster and faster and Marie was laughing.

"Feeling better now?" Remy asked her.

"Much better" Marie smiled back.

Remy stopped them both and took both her arms. As he leaned closer and they embraced in a kiss, Marie remembered how she had seen Bobby and Kitty almost kissing on the fountain. She broke off the kiss.

"Chére?" Remy said, not understanding.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this!" she said, and skated away as fast as she could. Reaching the exit she almost threw herself on the ground to get her skates off as quickly as she could. Meanwhile Remy had caught up with her.

"What's wrong?" Remy asked.

"You know very well what's wrong!" Marie said, and hurried away to find her own shoes. Remy followed.

"Non, I don't. So can you tell me?" Remy said.

Marie turned so quickly she almost hit him with her shoe. "Bobby is my boyfriend, and I love him, and you have no right to try to kiss me this way!"

She sat down and put her shoes on.

"Where are you going?"

"Home!"

"Then let Remy at least drive you"

"No!" Marie got up and ran away from him as fast as she could. Remy made no attempt to follow her.

X

In the evening Scott found himself once again in front of his own gravestone. Wondering whether it would have been better, if he was just as lifeless as the stone itself.

"Scott!" A distant voice yelled.

Scott ignored the voice as it drew closer and closer.

"Scott" It was right next to him now, and he was pulled out of his trance when Hank grabbed his shoulder.

"Scott, are you alright?" Hank asked.

Scott nodded distantly.

"I have great news." Hank said "I took a closer look at your CAT scan, because I didn't have anything to do while I waited for a result from this new project I'm working on, but never mind. I looked at the CAT scan and I compared it to the one we did when you first came to the school, and I realized something." Hank paused for effect "The scar-tissue that has been impeding you from controlling your powers is gone!"

"What?"

"It's completely gone! I guess when Mr. Sinister recreated you he didn't recreate your scars, since scars are not a part of your DNA. Do you have any other scars or marks that you weren't born with?"

Scott could think of many marks he wasn't born with, but none he wanted to show Hank. But then again, if the scars were gone…

"I… I should have some burns on my back" Scott said and lifted his shirt up so Hank could see his back.

"I don't see any burns" Hank said with amazement. "Fascinating!"

Scott pulled his shirt down again.

"So you are saying I can control my powers?"

"In theory you should, since the scar tissue was the reason-"

"So that's a 'yes'?" Scott said impatiently.

"Yes."

"But at the motel, when my powers came back I couldn't hold them back."

"My guess is that since you haven't been able to hold it back before, you didn't think you could this time either, and therefore you didn't try. Some mutants have to concentrate to turn their power on, others to turn them off."

"So all I gotta do is concentrate?"

"And practice of course. Why don't you try now?"

Scott concentrated. He focused all of his energy on his eyes until he couldn't feel the beams anymore.

"Step back" he said to Hank and Hank did as ordered.

Scott, still concentrating very hard, removed his sun glasses, faced the ground in front of him and opened his eyes. Nothing happened.

Scott looked at Hank, who saw his old friend's eyes for the first time. And Scott saw Hank in blue for the first time.

Scott looked up at the school, his only home.

Hank walked inside again, and left Scott alone to his thoughts.

He looked at the grave again. Gray stone. Scott felt an unfamiliar anger growing inside him. As the anger grew, his concentration weakened and his power beamed fired at the gravestone. It was almost completely destroyed, leaving only a mess of debris.

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The chapter title _"First Day On A Brand New Planet"_ is by _Jesse James _off the record, _Mission_.

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You know the drill… please review! I love feedback! 


	7. Chpt 7 THe Runaway Found

**Dark Dawn**

**Chapter S****even: The Runaway Found**

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A/N:

It's finally here! I'm sorry it has taken so long to write this, but my rl has been pretty hectic, and with school starting again in August, I cna't promise when the nxt chapter is going to be up. I'm really sorry, but I'll try the best I can to find some time to finish this story, and I promise I will finish it!

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"It was an accident!" Scott explained to Ororo for the fifth time, since she had discovered him sitting behind Jean's gravestone in fetal position, hugging himself tightly while sobbing quietly. Now he had regained self-control and was sitting in the office in front of Ororo.

"But Hank told me you had complete control when he left you." Ororo said. Hank had helped her carry Scott inside, but he hadn't come to himself until Hank had left.

Scott let out a desperate sigh. "Look, I told you. I was upset and shocked. I lost control."

"That's not like you, Cyclops" Ororo said, using his codename for extra effect.

Scott didn't answer. He crossed his arms and stared at the window. He was wearing his sunglasses again.

Ororo stood up and walked over to him. She kneeled down beside him and said: "I am only asking you, because I'm worried about you. I've never seen you like this before, and I… I'm scared for you."

"I don't need you to worry for me." Scott said, still staring at the window. "You're not Jean and you're not the professor."

Ororo got up and left the room.

Scott regretted hurting her, but it seemed the only way to make her leave. He did not want to talk about the so-called 'accident', meaning the fact that he in a fit of anger had destroyed his own gravestone. He didn't even understand, what had happened, himself. He could not remember anything from the moment he destroyed the stone until he was sitting in the chair in the office, with Ororo holding a cold cloth on his forehead, muttering "Don't leave me again".

His thoughts were interrupted by the office phone ringing. He lazily rose and answered the call.

"Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. This is Scott Summers speaking." He said without thinking. This was how he always answered.

"Hello? It's Marie" a small half-sobbing voice said in the other end.

"Marie, what's wrong? Where are you?" Scott asked.

"I'm somewhere in New York City. I'm lost and don't know how to get home. Please, come get me."

"Of course, I'll be right there, but you have to be a little more specific. New York is a pretty big city"

"Um, well. I was at the Rockefeller Center and then I went down the street and I ended up at the steps of some church. Figured it'd be the safest place."

"Alright, I think I know where you are. Just stay there and try not to draw any attention to yourself. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you Mr. Summers" Marie said and hung up.

**X**

For a time which seemed like forever Marie sat on the steps of a church hugging herself, thanking her lucky stars, that she had learned some self-defense. She wondered if Remy was already back at the mansion. Had she been too naïve to think he might try to make a move on her, even though he had promised not to?

A metallic blue Mazda RX8 pulled up beside her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and got in.

"Thank you so much Mr. Summers. I don't know what I would have done without you." Marie said, whilst fastening her seat belt.

"You're welcome." Scott said and smiled "But I think we both know that you easily could have found a train and gotten to Westchester. After all you did manage to get from Mississippi to Alberta all on your own."

"I know." Marie said sheepishly "But I didn't have any money…"

"So, what were you doing in New York City, anyway?" Scott said, and started driving. Suddenly he sighed and took his glasses of.

Marie gasped and burst out: "What are you doing?"

"Calm down. I know what I'm doing said Scott and opened his eyes, to reveal bright blue eyes to Marie.

"How…?"

"Apparently the scar-tissue that has been keeping me from controlling my powers is gone." Scott said matter-of-factly, his eyes fixed on the road.

"Oh, wow. That must be really nice, huh?" Marie said. She had always felt connected to Scott, because they both had powers they couldn't control, but now she was 'cured' and he could suddenly control his optic blasts.

"I guess." Scott said.

"But how can it just be gone?" she asked. "Does it have something to do with what happened…? … you know…"

"Yes, apparently Dr. Essex…" he paused, searching for the right words "recreated me using some of my DNA, and the scar-tissue is not a part of that. Now back to my question; what were you doing in New York?"

Marie bit her lip nervously. "I was on a date…"

"With Bobby?"

"With Remy…"

"Why would you go out with Remy?" Scott asked "What happened? Did he hurt you? I swear I'll-" Scott tightened his grip around the wheel.

"No, no. It wasn't his fault. Or really it was… no, it was my fault. I should have never gone out with him in the first place. I mean, I think I kinda always knew that it would end up like this, or not like this, but-"

"Marie."

"Sorry. He made a move on me, and we kissed, and I just felt so stupid and guilty, because I'm with Bobby, and I love Bobby."

"Of course you do. Then what?"

"Then I ran away. He wanted to take me home, but I didn't want to talk to him so I kept running and I ended up here…"

"I see." Scott said and grasped Marie's hand. "Now listen to me. What you did was stupid and irrational. You have absolutely no idea how dangerous New York City can be for a pretty young girl like you."

"Logan has taught me self-defense" Marie said.

"And every man in New York has a gun. So tell me, when where you going to kick a mugger's ass, before or after he blew your brains out?" Scott's voice was growing louder.

"Mr. Summers, nothing happened."

"But it could have." Scott said, opening his mouth to say something more but didn't.

"Mr. Summers, I'm okay. Nothing happened and I'm safe now. Okay?"

Scott loosened his tight grip on the wheel and her hand. "Listen, you kids are the only thing I have left now." Scott's voice was shaking. "I don't what you to get hurt. That's all."

Marie nodded and stared out at the bright New York lights.

"It's strange" She said, after some minutes of silence.

"What is?"

"It never really felt like you died. I mean, we all knew, well we all _thought_ you were dead, but it was so hard for us to grieve. Ever since…" Marie paused, unsure if she should continue, but finally decided to get it off her chest "Ever since Jean died, you'd been different, and we kinda lost you too back then, you know?"

Scott didn't say anything, but Marie knew he was listening.

"And then you left us, and it was like you just didn't come back, until now."

Scott's jaw clenched.

"Are you going to leave us again?" Marie asked.

Scott was quiet for a while. Then he swallowed and said: "I won't let you down again, and I promise not to leave you ever again."

Marie smiled and started fidgeting the white strand of hair hanging at her cheek.

"I'm glad you answered the phone" she said.

"Why?" Scott asked.

"Because Ms. Monroe and I aren't the best of friends right now."

"Why not?"

"She's mad at me for taking the cure. She thinks it's insulting, because we're not sick."

"I'm sorry." Scott smiled at Marie "For what it's worth, I understand why you did it."

"Thanks, I knew you would. At least she let me stay at the school. I don't know where I would have gone if she had kicked me out"

"You could have gone home" Scott suggested.

"I never want to go back there again." Marie said and crossed her arms defiantly.

"Why not?" Scott gave her a strange look, like he didn't understand.

"Because… you should have seen the way they looked at me, like I was some kind of monster. They cast me off. They said I wasn't their child anymore." A lump started forming in her throat, but she was not going to cry. She hadn't cried for them since she had arrived at the mansion.

Scott took her hand again.

"They couldn't accept me then, and I don't want them to accept me now. You know, it's not like I changed or anything, not when I got my powers and not now." Marie said.

"I know."

Marie leaned her head against the window and after some time she fell asleep, leaving Scott to his own thoughts.

**X**

Bobby and Ororo sat in the hall waiting for Scott and Marie to come back. Bobby was too worried to talk, so Ororo had started grading papers. She was worried too, but the Scott she knew could take care of himself and Marie. The only problem was; she was not sure if the Scott that had returned from Alkali Lake was the Scott she knew.

Suddenly the double doors opened. Ororo stood up so fast that she lost the paper she had been grading on the floor. Bobby was already headed towards the doors, but stopped as soon as he saw it was only Logan.

"You missed me?" Logan chuckled.

Bobby quickly found his seat again.

"I take it's not me you're waitin' for?" Logan said.

"No, we are waiting for Scott and Marie. They should be back from New York any time now" Ororo said.

"What are they doin' in New York?"

"I'm not sure, but Scott called a couple of hours ago. He said he was on his way to pick up Marie in the City and not to worry." Ororo told him. She picked the paper up and put it on the small coffee table beside her chair. "Do you want to wait here with us?"

"No, actually I wanted to talk to you. In private." Logan said.

"Oh okay. Let's go to my office." Ororo said, then turned to Bobby "Let me know when they get here."

"Sure Ms. Monroe" Bobby said.

**X**

The office was not far from the hall, and as soon as Ororo had closed the door, Logan said: "I don't trust him."

Ororo already knew who Logan was talking about, but asked anyway, hoping she was mistaken.

"Scott" Logan almost growled "You saw what he did to his own grave stone, and what he was like afterwards. Something ain't right here. Dead guys don't just show up on your door step, even for _us _that's weird!"

"Logan, I am fully aware that Scott's mental state has not been… I mean, Scott has been through a lot lately, well, actually through his entire life. We all know what happened to him when Jean died. I can only dare to imagine what happened to him up there. You and I are in no place to judge him."

"Yeah, 'cuz life has been real kind on us two!"

"Logan, that's not what I meant…"

"We lost Jeannie too! And the professor…"

"I know Logan, but Hank has performed every test possible and there is no doubt that this is really Scott." Ororo said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Now if you don't mind, I have had a rough day and I still have a lot to do. I don't have time for your uncertainties about Scott, which have _always _been there."

"Ororo, you know that's not-"

"Really, Logan? I honestly do not understand this cat fight between the two of you. What is your problem with him? It's not like you have Jean to fight over anymore" Ororo had said more than she meant to. "Please, Logan."

"Yeah, I know… I'll try…" Logan said and left.

**X**

The blue Mazda finally pulled into the driveway around 11 pm. Marie got out and went inside, while Scott drove the car into the garage. Marie was met by Bobby's open arms.

"I was so worried" he said, while hugging her.

"Nothing happened. I was with Scott the whole time." Marie said, hoping that would suffice.

"What the hell were you doing in New York anyway?"

It didn't.

"That… is a long story. I'm really tired. We should go to bed." Marie tried to drag him inside, but he stood firmly on the ground.

"Kitty said she saw you leave on a motorcycle"

_When __is Kitty going to get over him_? Marie asked herself. She was going to deal with her later. Right now her jealous boyfriend was more important. How was she going to explain going skating with Remy, without it sounding like, she was cheating on him?

"Is there a problem?" Scott asked. He had returned from the garage.

"No, Mr. Summers. Everything is just fine." Bobby said as he took Marie's hand and squeezed it, a little too hard.

"Good. We should go inside then. It's cold out here, and Marie's tired. Besides both of you have classes in the morning, and it's past curfew"

Saved by the bell. Marie had to remember to thank him later.

"Of course, Mr. Summers." Bobby said, and led Marie upstairs to their bed rooms.

**X**

Scott knew exactly how Bobby felt. He had been in that very same position once, and as he stood in the hallway, he wondered why he had let Marie off the hook so easily. She should have had to explain it to her boyfriend, whom she apparently loved.

"Aren't you quite the hero?" Ororo asked. "What took you so long?"

"We stopped to get some food at the Bayou Restaurant in Mount Vernon" Scott explained.

"Did you eat the whole menu?"

"'Ro, why are everybody so upset? We're both alright and safe and nothing happened" Scott's mind went back to Marie using those same words when he had picked her up. "Listen, Marie had gone out with Remy. He tried to kiss her and she didn't want to, so she ran away. She didn't want to take the train alone so she called the school. I was the first one to answer, so I went to pick her up. I thought it the most reasonable, because I used to live in New York, and know my way around, and she had no idea where she was. End of story."

"I'm sorry" Ororo took his hand "I was just worried something had happened. Like earlier today…"

"Have you seen Remy?"

Ororo sighed "No, I haven't."

"Fine I'll call him. Can I borrow your cell phone?"

"Sure, why?"

"He stole mine."

Ororo shook her head and gave him her phone.

Scott dialled his own number and reached Remy.

"'Allo"

"Remy, where are you?" Scott asked.

"Um, visiting an ole friend?"

"I know all about what happened today"

"Meaning?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you were safe"

"As long as Remy is wit Remy, Remy is safe"

Scott rolled his eyes.

"'Ey don' do dat!"

"Do what?" Scott asked.

"Rollin your eyes! I know you rolled your eyes"

"Fine, sorry." It scared Scott, how well Remy already knew him. "Do you plan on coming back?"

"Yeah, if you still wan' me I'll be back t'morrow."

"Great, I'll see you"

"Bon nuit" Remy said and hung up.

"I hope you plan on yelling at him when he returns" Ororo said and put her cell phone back in her pocket.

"Oh, I will" Scott said with an evil smile.

"Why do I get the feeling you are enjoying this?" Ororo asked.

"Because this is what I love about this place. This is why I love teaching, because I not only teach but I lead people in the right direction."

Ororo smiled.

"Jean is gone, and she isn't coming back. I don't know if I'll ever find anyone like her again. I'm not even sure I want to. I'll never have children, but the kids around here are my children."

"I know exactly what you mean. If you feel up to it, I guess you could return to teaching."

It suddenly made Scott angry that he had to get Ororo's permission to start teaching again, but he didn't let it show.

"That sounds great 'Ro. I'll let Logan know" His evil smile returned to his face.

"Scott, maybe you should wait until tomorrow-"

"No, I want to do this right now."

**X**

After his argument with Ororo, Logan went to work out his frustrations in the gym.

The Scott he had known, would never go berserk like that. Every cell in his body was telling him that something was wrong.

Logan had named his favorite punching bag Scott. It was a product of the time, when Jean was alive and Logan hated Scott with the fire of a thousand suns. Times had changed, and Logan no longer hated Scott. Not really hate. Now it was mostly frustration and suspicion, and a mild dislike.

"A tad frustrated, are we?" Scott said.

"What do you want?" Logan growled.

"I just came by to tell you that your teaching abilities are no longer needed." Scott smirked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I will be taking my old classes back again"

"Are you sure you should be workin' again in your condition?"

"What condition?"

"I mean, you just came back from the dead, maybe you should relax for a couple o'weeks."

"I'm fine!" Scott said.

Logan could tell, Scott was irritated and it thrilled him to no end.

"I will be taking over the position as leader of the X-Men too." Scott said.

Logan could accept Scott taking his shop class back, but there was no way he could steal his leader position away from him. Leading the X-Men was the place he felt most a home, where he felt he could finally belong.

"That ain't gonna happen, kid" Logan said and started punching 'Scott'.

"That's not really your decision to make, Wolverine"

"The hell it ain't!" Logan contemplated starting to beat up the real Scott, but it wouldn't help his case. "I know what happened this mornin' and I will not let that happen on a mission. God knows what could happen if the leader lost control"

Scott snorted "Yeah, because you're all about control. You're just an animal. You don't even belong here."

Logan noticed something in Scott's smell. The smell had changed. If it had been Scott before, it definitely wasn't now. And whoever it was, wasn't wearing his glasses and Logan was right in the line of fire.

Logan pounced and hit Scott in the stomach, knocking them both to the floor. Scott was stronger than Logan had thought and soon Logan was lying on his back, receiving multiple blasts in the stomach from Scott's bare eyes. Logan released his claws and managed to strike Scott in the arm, before Scott suddenly disappeared into thin air.

**X**

Raven was getting used to visiting Mutieville, but this time it was different. Caliban had called her and told her he had found Eric. She dared not to hope he was right. Hope had let her down too many times. But she still went to see him. If he hadn't really found him, and least she could find somebody to take her frustrations out on.

Her skin was almost completely blue again and covered in scales too. She had not had any luck shifting her shape yet, but she knew she would be able to as soon as she found him.

"Are you sure it's him?" she asked Caliban.

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

"In Poland"

Poland. Of course. Raven knew Eric was from Poland, and somehow she had always known he would have gone to Poland, but had been so desperate to find him that she never really thought it through.

Caliban handed her a half-torn paper with an address on it.

"But there's more…" Caliban started, but Raven had already left.

"He is not alone."

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A/N: On Scott's Mazda. I have no idea if the car was blown up in Boston (X2), but if it was, my little back story is that Xavier bought him a new one after Jean's death to cheer him up, because Scott likes his machines (mistresses).

The chapter title "The Runaway Found" is the name of the 2004 album from the band, The Veils.


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